make, being secure that we were yet at too great a distance to But about ten o'clock at night, the ships being then within five leagues of the place, lieutenant Brett, with the boats under his command, put off, and arrived at the mouth of the bay without being discovered; but no sooner had he entered it, than some people, on board a vessel riding at anchor there, perceived him, who instantly put off in their boat rowing towards the fort, shouting and crying, the English, the English dogs, &c. by which the whole town was suddenly alarmed, and our people soon observed several lights hurrying backward and forwards in the fort, and other marks of the inhabitants being in great motion. Lieutenant Brett, on this, encouraged his men to pull briskly up to the shore, that they might give the enemy as little time as possible to prepare for their defence. However, before our boats could reach the shore, the people in the fort had got ready some of their cannon, and pointed them towards the landing-place; and though in the darkness of the night it might be well supposed that chance had a greater share than skill in their direction, yet the first shot passed extremely near one of the boats, whistling just over the heads of the crew. This made our people redouble their efforts; so that they had reached the shore, and were in part disembarked by the time the second gun fired. As soon as our men landed, they were conducted by one of the Spanish pilots to the entrance of a narrow street, not above fifty yards distant from the beach, where they were covered from the fire of the fort; and being formed in the best manner the shortness of the time would allow, they immediately marched for the parade, which was a large square at the end of this street, the fort being one side of the square, and the governor's house another. In this march (though performed with tolerable regularity) the shouts and clamours of threescore sailors, who had been confined so long on shipboard, and were now for the first time on shore in an enemy's country, joyous as they always are, when they land, and animated besides in the present case with the hopes of an immense pillage; the huzza's, I say, of this spirited detachment, joined with the noise of their drums, and favoured

by the night, had augmented their numbers, in the opinion of the enemy, to at least three hundred; by which persuasion the inhabitants were so greatly intimidated, that they were much more solicitous about the means of their flight than of their resistance: so that though upon entering the parade, our people received a volley from the merchants who owned the treasure then in the town, and who, with a few others had ranged themselves in a gallery that ran round the governor's house, yet that post was immediately abandoned upon the first fire made by our people, who were thereby left in quiet possession of the parade.

'On this success lieutenant Brett divided his men into two parties, ordering one of them to surround the governor's house, and if possible to secure the governor, whilst he himself with the other marched to the fort, with an intent to force it. But, contrary to his expectation, he entered it without opposition; for the enemy, on his approach, abandoned it and made their escape over the walls. By this means the whole place was mastered in less than a quarter of an hour's time from the first landing, with no other loss than that of one man killed on the spot, and two wounded; one of which was the Spanish pilot of the Teresa, who received a slight bruise by a ball which grazed his wrist: indeed another of the company, the honourable Mr. Kepple, son to the earl of Albemarle, had a very narrow escape; for having on a jockey cap, one side of the peak was shaved off close to his temple by a ball, which however did him no farther injury.

And now lieutenant Brett, after this success, placed a guard at the fort, and another at the governor's house, and appointed centinels at all the avenues of the town, both to prevent any surprise from the enemy, and to secure the effects in the place from being embezzled. And this being done, his next care was to seize on the custom-house where the treasure lay, and to examine if any of the inhabitants remained in the town, that he might know what farther precautions it was necessary to take; but he soon found that the numbers left behind were no ways formidable: for the greatest part of them (being in bed when the place was surprised) had run VOL. IV. 2 Y

away with so much precipitation, that they had not given themselves time to put on their clothes. And in this precipitate route the governor was not the last to secure himself, for he fled betimes half naked, leaving his wife, a young lady of about seventeen years of age, to whom he had been married but three or four days, behind him, though she too was afterwards carried off in her shift by a couple of centinels, just as the detachment, ordered to invest the house, arrived before it. This escape of the governor was an unpleasing circumstance, as Mr. Anson had particularly recommended it to lieutenant Brett to secure his person, if possible, in hopes that by that means we might be able to treat for the ransom of the place: but it seems his alertness rendered it impossible to seize him. The few inhabitants who remained were confined in one of the churches under a guard, except some stout negroes which were found in the place; these, instead of being shut up, were employed the remaining part of the night to assist in carrying the treasure from the customhouse and other places to the fort: however, there was care taken that they should be always attended by a file of musqueteers.

The transporting the treasure from the custom-house to the fort, was the principal occupation of Mr. Brett's people, after he had got possession of the place. But the sailors, while they were thus employed, could not be prevented from entering the houses which lay near them, in search of private pillage. And the first things which occurred to them, being the clothes which the Spaniards in their flight had left behind them, and which, according to the custom of the country, were most of them either embroidered or laced, our people eagerly seized these glittering habits, and put them en over their own dirty trowsers and jackets, not forgetting, at the same time, the tye or bag-wig and laced hat, which were generally found with the clothes; and when this practice was once begun, there was no preventing the whole detachment from imitating it and those who came latest into the fashion, not finding men's clothes sufficient to equip themselves, they were obliged to take up with women's gowns and petticoats, (which pro

vided there was finery enough) they made no scruple of putting on, and blending with their own greasy dress. So that when a party of them thus ridiculously metamorphised first appeared before Mr. Brett, he was extremely surprised at their appearance, and could not immediately be satisfied they were his own people.'

In a wood near the town, above two hundred horsemen appeared with a number of trumpets, drums, and standards, and paraded about each day with the intention of intimidating the English. But Mr. Brett barricadoed the streets, and knowing the horse durst not attack him, the removal of the treasure was therefore conducted without hurry or confusion. When this business was finished Mr. Anson sent his prisoners on shore, who loudly extolled his kindness and humanity. The party on duty in the town were at the same time ordered on board, after setting fire to the place, and sinking six vessels which were found in the harbour. The plunder amounted to upwards of 30,000%. and the whole loss to the Spaniards was estimated at a million and a half of dollars.

Mr. Anson on proceeding to sea, fell in with the Gloucester, which had taken a prize worth 12,000. The squadron now steered northward to cruise for the Manilla galeon, bound to Acapulco. It however was necessary first to water the ships, for which purpose, the island of Quibo was chosen. Here they scuttled and sunk two of the prizes, and then set sail to the coast of Mexico. After cruising for some time for the galeon, one of the boats surprised three negroes in a canoe, from whom they learned that the galeon had reached her port, but that she was ordered to sail back to Manilla on the 14th of March. This news was joyfully received, as she would be a more valuable prize on her return, when she had usually a richer cargo than any other vessel in any part of the globe.

The ships were judiciously arranged so as to observe the galeon, and when the time of her sailing arrived, all was impatience and alacrity; but a barge which was sent to reconnoitre was seen from the shore, and the galeon was detained, and not permitted to sail till the following season. When Mr. Anson learned this circumstance he determined to sur

prise the place, but found that the state of the winds rendered this impracticable.

The commodore now ordered the vessels to rendezvous at a port thirty leagues to the westward of Acapulco, and that the Tryal's prize, and the Carmelo, and Carmin, should be sunk. After procuring wood, and water, preparations were made for crossing the Pacific ocean; but as the cutter had been left opposite Acapulco, the ships steered in that direction to take her up, and to land a number of prisoners they had on board. Not finding the cutter at her station, it was concluded she had been taken, but being driven to the southward she was found, the men being quite exhausted, having been at sea above six weeks. In the South Seas the Gloucester lost all her masts, had seven feet water in her hold, and a crew so weakly, that they were unable to work her. This determined Mr. Anson to remove her people on board the Centurion, and order her to be burnt. This was effected with difficulty, the men being so weak with the scurvy, not less than ten or twelve dying every day.

Driven about with the winds, and unable to make land, a general despondency seized the whole crew, who saw nothing but destruction as the ship was very leaky, and no hands able to work the pumps. In this dreadful situation they fortunately fell in with the island of Tinian. The sight of beautiful lawns and woods, and herds of cattle feeding, was a joyful and reviving spectacle. There was no inhabitants on this delightful island, except a few Indians employed in jerking beef, which was a happy circumstance, considering the defenceless state of the Centurion. The sick now recovered with wonderful rapidity. Here was a beautiful watering place, where tents were pitched until the ship was repaired, watered, and provided with provisions. But while all the crew were happy and jovial, a storm arose which drove the Centurion to sea, and being badly manned, it was believed in a few days, by the commodore and others left on shore, that she had perished. The carpenters and smiths were therefore employed in lengthening the bark, and rigging her for sea, intending to sail to China. However, at the end of twenty days, the Centurion returned, to the inexpressible joy of all parties.