northermost point shutting in upon the southermost, and in appearance closing the entrance.

Being come to an anchor in this bay of St. Julian, princi pally with a view of refitting the Tryal, the carpenters were immediately employed in that business, and continued so during our whole stay at the place. The Tryal's main-mast having been carried away 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 top-mast, which the carpenters converted into a new fore-mast. And I cannot help observing, that this accident to the Tryal'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.

'Whilst 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 Tryal 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 Tryal, during the illness of captain Saunders.

'The Tryal 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 of the district of Chili; Mr. Anson informing them, at the same time, 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. New instructions were also 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 Senora del Socoro.'

The squadron sailed on the 27th of February, and on the 7th of March passed through the straits of Le Maire; immediately after which a violent storm came on, that exceeded the most dreadful ever witnessed by the oldest seamen. 'And,' says our author, that no circumstance might be wanting which could aggrandise our distress, these blasts generally brought with them a great quantity of snow and sleet, which cased our rigging, and froze our sails, thereby rendering them and our cordage brittle, and apt to snap upon the slightest strain, adding great difficulty and labour to the working of the ship, benumbing the limbs of our people, and making them incapable of exerting themselves with their usual activity, and even disabling many of them, by mortifying their toes and fingers.'

The storm continued many days, but the ships were worked with great resolution and activity. On the 8th of April, the commodore,' says the narrator,

making a signal for the

squadron to bring to, we, at day-break, saw the Wager a

considerable way to leeward of any of the other ships; and we soon perceived that she had lost her mizen-mast, and main top-sail yard. We immediately bore down to her, and found this disaster had arisen from the badness of her iron work; for all the chain plates to windward had given way, upon the ship's fetching a deep roll. This proved the more unfortunate to the Wager, as her carpenter had been on board the Gloucester ever since the 31st of March, and the weather was now too severe to permit him to return. Nor was the Wager the only ship of the squadron that had suffered in the late tempest; for, the next day, a signal of distress was made by the Anna pink, and, upon speaking with the master, we learnt that they had broke their fore-stay and the gammon of the bowsprit, and were in no small danger of having all the masts come by the board; so that we were obliged to bear away until they had made all fast, after which we haled upon a wind again.'

This

But another mortification ensued, for next morning the squadron fell in with the coast of Terra del Fuego, when it was calculated they were ten degrees to the westward of it. They therefore stood to the S. W. till the 22d of April, when we were in 60 degrees of south latitude, and by our account near six degrees to the westward of cape Noir; and in this run, we had a series of as favourable weather, as could well be expected in that part of the world, even in a better season: so that this interval, setting the inquietude of our thoughts aside; was by far the most eligible of any we enjoyed from straits Le Maire to the west coast of America. moderate weather continued, with little variation, till the 24th; but on the 24th, in the evening, the wind began to blow fresh, and soon encreased to a prodigious storm, and the weather became extremely thick; about midnight we lost sight of the other four ships of the squadron, which, notwithstanding the violence of the preceding storms, had hitherto kept in company with us. Nor was this our sole misfortune; for, the next morning, endeavouring to hand the top-sails, the clue-lines and bunt-lines broke, and the sheets being half flown, every seam in the top-sails was soon split from top to

bottom, and the main top-sail shook so strongly in the wind, that it carried away the top lanthorn, and endangered the head of the mast; however, at length some of the most daring of our men ventured upon the yard, and cut the sail away close to the reefs, though with the utmost hazard of their lives. At the same time, the fore-topsail beat about the yard with so much fury, that it was soon blown to pieces; and that we might have full employment, the mainsail blew loose, which obliged us to lower down the yard to secure the sail, and the fore-yard being likewise lowered, we lay to under a mizen and besides the loss of our topsails, we had much of our other rigging broke, and lost a main studding-sail-boom out of the chains.'

They continued during the rest of April to struggle round Cape Horn, while the scurvy raged with such violence amongst the crew, that forty-three men died during the month on board the Centurion. Other storms assailed them, and it was believed on board the commodore's vessel, that all had perished but themselves. However, on the 9th of June they reached the island of Juan Fernandes, in such a deplorable condition, that only two hundred men remained alive, out of between four and five hundred that passed the straits of Le Maire in health and vigour, and these in so wretched a condition, that seamen, officers, servants, and boys, combined, were not enough to work the ships.

At this place they found the Tryal sloop which had lost thirty-four men, and then had only three capable of doing duty. The few who remained in health were so weak, that it occupied several days to remove the sick, of whom twelve died in the boats, and six each day for the first ten or twelve days. But at last the excellent water, fish, goats' flesh, and other supplies found on the island, arrested the progress of this dreadful mortality. On the 26th of June they were joined by the Gloucester, which was brought into the harbour by the people of the Centurion, which was not effected without repeated efforts, and which employed all hands nearly a month. Scarcely a man remained fit for duty on board this vessel, and two-thirds of the crew had been thrown overboard. About

the middle of August the Anna pink came in, which was a happy circumstance, as she had the provisions for the squadron on board. This was the only ship that joined, for the Severn and Pearl had put back to the Brazils, and the Wager was wrecked to the southward of Chiloe, with one hundred and thirty persons on board; of this number thirty reached Rio Grande on the coast of Brazil, in an open boat, and four others with the captain, the island of Chiloe, all the rest being lost, drowned, and died of want and fatigue.

Still

Here the Anna pink was broke up as unfit for sea. however, the crews of the three remaining vessels, which on leaving England amounted to nine hundred and sixty-one men, were reduced to three hundred and thirty-five men and boys, a number unequal for manning the Centurion alone. About the beginning of September a vessel was discovered off the island, which all concluded to be a Spaniard, on which the Centurion was towed to sea, and gave chace to the stranger which was at night lost sight off; but in a few days another vessel was discovered which was thought to be one of Pizarro's squadron, and all hands in high spirits prepared for action. She proved to be a merchantman of four hundred and fifty tons burthen, and loaden with sugar, cloth, and a quantity of dollars. From the officers Mr. Anson learned the fate of Pizarro's squadron, which was of the greatest importance. On returning to Juan Fernandes, the prize, the Carmelo, was sent to cruise on the coast, and all the other vessels were assigned different stations in order to distress the Spanish trade in those seas.

On going to sea, the Tryal took a large vessel of six hundred tons, an excellent sailer, and as the Tryal had become leaky, and lost her masts, her crew was put on board of the prize, and she was sunk. Two other prizes were afterwards taken, and by the latter it was understood that the governor of Paita had heard of their being in those seas, and was therefore sending off the treasures inland, on which Mr. Anson determined to surprise the place.

During our preparations,' says the narrator, the ships themselves stood towards the port with all the sail they could