_From Macao to Cape Espiritu Santo; the taking of the Manilla Galleon,
and returning back again._
The commodore was now got to sea, with his ship very well refitted,
his stores replenished, and an additional stock of provisions on
board: His crew too was somewhat reinforced; for he had entered
twenty-three men during his stay at Macao, the greatest part of which
were Lascars or Indian sailors, and some few Dutch. He gave out at
Macao that he was bound to Batavia, and thence to England; and though
the westerly monsoon was now set in, when that passage is considered
as impracticable, yet, by the confidence he had expressed in the
strength of his ship, and the dexterity of his people, he had
persuaded not only his own crew, but the people at Macao likewise,
that he proposed to try this unusual experiment; so that there were
many letters put on board him by the inhabitants of Canton and Macao
for their friends at Batavia.
But his real design was of a very different nature: For he knew, that
instead of one annual ship from Acapulco to Manilla, there would be
this year in all probability two; since, by being before Acapulco, he
had prevented one of them from putting to sea the preceding season.
He therefore resolved to cruise for these returning vessels off Cape
Espiritu Santo, on the island of Samal, which is the first land they
always make in the Philippine Islands. And as June is generally the
month in which they arrive there, he doubted not but he should get to
his intended station time enough to intercept them. It is true, they
were said to be stout vessels, mounting forty-four guns a-piece, and
carrying above five hundred hands, and might be expected to return in
company; and he himself had but two hundred and twenty-seven hands
on board, of which near thirty were boys: But this disproportion of
strength did not deter him, as he knew his ship to be much better
fitted for a sea-engagement than theirs, and as he had reason to
expect that his men would exert themselves in the most extraordinary
manner, when they had in view the immense wealth of these Manilla
galleons.
This project the commodore had resolved on in his own thoughts, ever
since his leaving the coast of Mexico. And the greatest mortification
which he received, from the various delays he had met with in China,
was his apprehension, lest he might be thereby so long retarded as to
let the galleons escape him. Indeed, at Macao it was incumbent on
him to keep these views extremely secret; for there being a great
intercourse and a mutual connection of interests between that port and
Manilla, he had reason to fear, that if his designs were discovered,
intelligence would be immediately sent to Manilla, and measures taken
to prevent the galleons from falling into his hands: But being now at
sea, and entirely clear of the coast, he summoned all his people on
the quarter-deck, and informed them of his resolution to cruise for
the two Manilla ships, of whose wealth they were not ignorant. He told
them he should chuse a station, where he could not fail of meeting
with them; and though they were stout ships, and full manned, yet, if
his own people behaved with their accustomed spirit, he was certain
he should prove too hard for them both, and that one of them at least
could not fail of becoming his prize: He further added, that many
ridiculous tales had been propagated about the strength of the sides
of these ships, and their being impenetrable to cannon-shot; that
these fictions had been principally invented to palliate the cowardice
of those who had formerly engaged them; but he hoped there were none
of those present weak enough to give credit to so absurd a story: For
his own part, he did assure them upon his word, that, whenever he met
with them, he would fight them so near, that they should find, his
bullets, instead of being stopped by one of their sides, should go
through them both.
This speech of the commodore's was received by his people with
great joy: For no sooner had he ended, than they expressed their
approbation, according to naval custom, by three strenuous cheers, and
all declared their determination to succeed or perish, whenever the
opportunity presented itself. And now their hopes, which, since their
departure from the coast of Mexico, had entirely subsided, were again
revived; and they all persuaded themselves, that, notwithstanding the
various casualties and disappointments they had hitherto met with,
they should yet be repaid the price of their fatigues, and should at
last return home enriched with the spoils of the enemy: For, firmly
relying on the assurances of the commodore, that they should certainly
meet with the vessels, they were all of them too sanguine to doubt a
moment of mastering them; so that they considered themselves as
having them already in their possession. And this confidence was
so universally spread through the whole ship's company, that, the
commodore having taken some Chinese sheep to sea with him for his own
provision, and one day enquiring of his butcher, why, for some time
past, he had seen no mutton at his table, asking him if all the sheep
were killed, the butcher very seriously replied, that there were
indeed two sheep left, but that, if his honour would give him leave,
he proposed to keep those for the entertainment of the general of the
galleons.
When the Centurion left the port of Macao, she stood for some days to
the westward; and, on the first of May, they saw part of the island
of Formosa; and, standing thence to the southward, they, on the 4th
of May, were in the latitude of the Bashee islands, as laid down by
Dampier; but they suspected his account of inaccuracy, as they found
that he had been considerably mistaken in the latitude of the south
end of Formosa: For this reason they kept a good look-out, and about
seven in the evening discovered from the mast-head five small islands,
which were judged to be the Bashees, and they had afterwards a sight
of Bottle Tobago Xima. By this means they had an opportunity of
correcting the position of the Bashee islands, which had been hitherto
laid down twenty-five leagues too far to the westward: For, by their
observations, they esteemed the middle of these islands to be in 21°
4' north, and to bear from Botel Tobago Xima S.S.E. twenty leagues
distant, that island itself being in 21° 57' north.[1]
[Footnote 1: The Bashee Islands were so called by Dampier from the
name of a liquor used by the natives. Four of them are inhabited, and
are tolerably fertile, producing sugar canes, pine apples, plantaines,
potatoes, &c. and having some hogs and goats. The inhabitants, who
are reckoned a harmless and peaceable race, are said to resemble the
Japanese, and probably are derived from them. The unfortunate Peyreuse
visited one of the most northerly of these islands, and found its
latitude to be 21° 9' 13" N. Arrowsmith's map lays them down very
particularly. The passage betwixt Formosa and these islands is held
very dangerous on account of the rock called Vele Rete, the precise
situation of which is matter of discord among the navigators. Captain
Krusenstern went through this passage during the night, and that
a stormy one too, with perfect safety, keeping the middle of the
channel, and having men continually on the look-out. He seems to
prefer the position of Vele Rete and its reef of rocks, (of about two
miles circuit,) as given by Broughton, according to whose observations
the latitude is 21° 43' 24", and the longitude 239° 15'.--E.]
After getting a sight of the Bashee islands, they stood between the S.
and S.W. for Cape Espiritu Santo; and, the 20th of May at noon, they
first discovered that cape, which about four o'clock they brought
to bear S.S.W. about eleven leagues distant. It appeared to be of a
moderate height, with several round hummocks on it. As it was known
that there were centinels placed upon this cape to make signals to the
Acapulco ship, when she first falls in with the land, the commodore
immediately tacked, and ordered the top-gallant sails to be taken in,
to prevent being discovered; and, this being the station in which it
was resolved to cruise for the galleons, they kept the cape between
the south and the west, and endeavoured to confine themselves between
the latitude of 12° 50', and 13° 5', the cape itself lying, by their
observations, in 12° 40' north, and 4° of east longitude from Botel
Tobago Xima.
It was the last of May, when they arrived off this cape; and the month
of June being that in which the Manilla ships are usually expected,
the Centurion's people were now waiting each hour with the utmost
impatience for the happy crisis which was to balance the account
of all their past calamities. As from this time there was but small
employment for the crew, the commodore ordered them almost every day
to be exercised in the management of the great guns, and in the use
of their small arms. This had been his practice, more or less, at all
convenient seasons, during the whole course of his voyage; and the
advantages which he received from it, in his engagement with the
galleon, were an ample recompence for all his care and attention.[2]
[Footnote 2: The original has here some reflections on the importance
and advantages of exercising the seamen in firing, &c. which, however
good, are too common and obvious to merit insertion. The art of
destroying men's lives has been abundantly improved since our author's
day.--E.]
The galleons being now expected, the commodore made all necessary
preparations for receiving them, having hoisted out his long-boat, and
lashed her alongside, that the ship might be ready for engaging, if
they fell in with the galleons in the night. All this time too he was
very solicitous to keep at such a distance from the cape, as not to
be discovered: But it hath been since learnt, that notwithstanding
his care, he was seen from the land; and advice of him was sent
to Manilla, where it was at first disbelieved, but on reiterated
intelligence (for it seems he was seen more than once) their merchants
were alarmed, and the governor was applied to, who undertook (the
commerce supplying the necessary sums) to fit out a force consisting
of two ships of thirty-two guns, one of twenty guns, and two sloops
of ten guns each, to attack the Centurion on her station: And some
of these vessels did actually weigh with this view; but the principal
ship not being ready, and the monsoon being against then, the commerce
and the governor disagreed, and the enterprize was laid aside. This
frequent discovery of the Centurion from the shore was somewhat
extraordinary; for the pitch of the cape is not high, and she usually
kept from ten to fifteen leagues distant; though once indeed, by an
indraught of the tide, as was supposed, they found themselves in the
morning within seven leagues of the land.
As the month of June advanced, the expectancy and impatience of the
commodore's people each day increased. And I think no better idea can
be given of their great eagerness on this occasion, than by copying a
few paragraphs from the journal of an officer, who was then on
board, as it will, I presume, be a more natural picture of the full
attachment of their thoughts to the business of their cruise, than can
be given by any other means. The paragraphs I have selected, as they
occur in order of time, are as follow:
"_May_ 31. Exercising our men at their quarters, in great expectation
of meeting with the galleons very soon; this being the eleventh of
June their stile."
"_June_ 3. Keeping in our stations, and looking out for the galleons."
"_June_ 5. Begin now to be in great expectation, this being the middle
of June their stile."
"_June_ 11. Begin to grow impatient at not seeing the galleons."
"_June_ 13. The wind having blown fresh easterly for the forty-eight
hours past, gives us great expectations of seeing the galleons soon."
"_June_ 15. Cruising on and off, and looking out strictly."
"_June_ 19. This being the last day of June, N.S. the galleons, if
they arrive at all, must appear soon."
From these samples it is sufficiently evident, how completely the
treasure of the galleons had engrossed their imagination, and how
anxiously they passed the latter part of their cruise, when the
certainty of the arrival of these vessels was dwindled down to
probability only, and that probability became each hour more and more
doubtful. However, on the 20th of June, O.S. being just a month from
their arrival on their station, they were relieved from this state
of uncertainty; when, at sun-rise, they discovered a sail from the
mast-head, in the S.E. quarter. On this, a general joy spread
through the whole ship; for they had no doubt but this was one of
the galleons, and they expected soon to see the other. The commodore
instantly stood towards her, and at half an hour after seven they were
near enough to see her from the Centurion's deck; at which time the
galleon fired a gun, and took in her top-gallant sails, which
was supposed to be a signal to her consort, to hasten her up; and
therefore the Centurion fired a gun to leeward, to amuse her. The
commodore was surprised to find, that in all this time the galleon
did not change her course, but continued to bear down upon him; for
he hardly believed, what afterwards appeared to be the case, that she
knew his ship to be the Centurion, and resolved to fight him.
About noon the commodore was little more than a league distant from
the galleon, and could fetch her wake, so that she could not now
escape; and, no second ship appearing, it was concluded that she had
been separated from her consort. Soon after, the galleon haled up
her fore-sail, and brought-to under top-sails, with her head to the
northward, hoisting Spanish colours, and having the standard of Spain
flying at the top-gallant-mast-head. Mr Anson, in the mean time, had
prepared all things for an engagement on board the Centurion, and had
taken all possible care, both for the most effectual exertion of his
small strength, and for the avoiding the confusion and tumult too
frequent in actions of this kind. He picked out about thirty of his
choicest hands and best marksmen, whom he distributed into his tops,
and who fully answered his expectation, by the signal services
they performed. As he had not hands enough remaining to quarter a
sufficient number to each great gun, in the customary manner, he
therefore, on his lower tire, fixed only two men to each gun, who were
to be solely employed in loading it, whilst the rest of his people
were divided into different gangs of ten or twelve men each, who were
constantly moving about the decks, to ran out and fire such guns as
were loaded. By this management he was enabled to make use of all his
guns; and, instead of firing broad-sides with intervals between them,
he kept up a constant fire without intermission, whence he doubted not
to procure very signal advantages; for it is common with the Spaniards
to fall down upon the decks when they see a broadside preparing, and
to continue in that posture till it is given; after which they rise
again, and, presuming the danger to be for some time over, work their
guns, and fire with great briskness, till another broad-side is ready:
But the firing gun by gun, in the manner directed by the commodore,
rendered this practice of theirs impossible.
The Centurion being thus prepared, and nearing the galleon apace,
there happened, a little after noon, several squalls of wind and rain,
which often obscured the galleon from their sight; but whenever it
cleared up, they observed her resolutely lying-to; and, towards one
o'clock, the Centurion hoisted her broad pendant and colours, she
being then within gun-shot of the enemy. And the commodore observing
the Spaniards to have neglected clearing their ship till that time, as
he then saw them throwing overboard cattle and lumber, he gave orders
to fire upon them with the chace-guns, to embarrass them in their
work, and prevent them from completing it, though his general
directions had been not to engage till they were within pistol-shot.
The galleon returned the fire with two of her stern-chacers; and, the
Centurion getting her sprit-sail-yard fore and aft, that if necessary
she might be ready for boarding, the Spaniards in a bravado rigged
their sprit-sail-yard fore and aft likewise. Soon after, the Centurion
came a-breast of the enemy within pistol-shot, keeping to the leeward
with a view of preventing them from putting before the wind, and
gaining the port of Jalapay, from which they were about seven leagues
distant. And now the engagement began in earnest, and, for the first
half hour, Mr Anson over-reached the galleon, and lay on her bow;
where, by the great wideness of his ports, he could traverse almost
all his guns upon the enemy, whilst the galleon could only bring a
part of hers to bear. Immediately on the commencement of the action,
the mats, with which the galleon had stuffed her netting, took fire,
and burnt violently, blazing up half as high as the mizen-top. This
accident (supposed to be caused by the Centurion's wads) threw
the enemy into great confusion, and at the same time alarmed the
commodore, for he feared least the galleon should be burnt, and least
he himself too might suffer by her driving on board him: But the
Spaniards at last freed themselves from the fire, by cutting away the
netting, and tumbling the whole mass, which was in flames, into the
sea. But still the Centurion kept her first advantageous position,
firing her cannon with great regularity and briskness, whilst at the
same time the galleon's decks lay open to her top-men, who, having
at their first volley driven the Spaniards from their tops, made
prodigious havock with their small-arms, killing or wounding every
officer but one that ever appeared on the quarter-deck, and wounding
in particular the general of the galleon himself. And though the
Centurion, after the first half hour, lost her original situation,
and was close alongside the galleon, and the enemy continued to
fire briskly for near an hour longer, yet at last the commodore's
grape-shot swept their decks so effectually, and the number of their
slain and wounded was so considerable, that they began to fall into
great disorder, especially as the general, who was the life of the
action, was no longer capable of exerting himself. Their embarrassment
was visible from on board the commodore. For the ships were so near,
that some of the Spanish officers were seen running about with great
assiduity, to prevent the desertion of their men from their quarters:
But all their endeavours were in vain; for after having, as a last
effort, fired five or six guns with more judgment than usual, they
gave up the contest; and, the galleon's colours being singed off
the ensign-staff in the beginning of the engagement, she struck
the standard at her main-top-gallant-mast-head, the person who was
employed to do it, having been in imminent peril of being killed,
had not the commodore, who perceived what he was about, given express
orders to his people to desist from firing.
Thus was the Centurion possessed of this rich prize, amounting in
value to near a million and a half of dollars. She was called the
Nostra Signora de Cabadonga, and was commanded by the general Don
Jeronimo de Montero, a Portuguese by birth, and the most approved
officer for skill and courage of any employed in that service. The
galleon, was much larger than the Centurion, had five hundred and
fifty men and thirty-six guns mounted for action, besides twenty-eight
pidreroes in her gunwale, quarters and tops, each of which carried a
four-pound ball. She was very well furnished with small arms, and was
particularly provided against boarding, both by her close quarters,
and by a strong net-work of two-inch rope, which was laced over her
waist, and was defended by half pikes. She had sixty-seven killed in
the action, and eighty-four wounded, whilst the Centurion had only two
killed, and a lieutenant and sixteen wounded, all of whom, but one,
recovered: Of so little consequence are the most destructive arms in
untutored and unpractised hands.
The treasure thus taken by the Centurion having been for at least
eighteen months the great object of their hopes, it is impossible
to describe the transport on board, when, after all their reiterated
disappointments, they at last saw their wishes accomplished. But their
joy was near being suddenly damped by a most tremendous incident: For
no sooner had the galleon struck, than one of the lieutenants coming
to Mr Anson to congratulate him on his prize, whispered him at
the same time, that the Centurion was dangerously 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
necessary orders for extinguishing it, which was happily done in a
short time, though its appearance at first was extremely terrible. It
seems some cartridges had been blown up by accident between decks,
by which a quantity of oakum in the after-hatch-way, near the
after-powder-room, was set on fire; and the great smother and smoke
of the oakum occasioned the apprehension of a more extended and
mischievous fire. At the same instant, too, the galleon fell on board
the Centurion on the starboard quarter, but she was cleared without
doing or receiving any considerable damage.
The commodore made his first lieutenant, Mr Saumarez, captain of this
prize, appointing her a post-ship in his majesty's service. Captain
Saumarez, before night, sent on board the Centurion all the Spanish
prisoners, but such as were thought the most proper to be retained to
assist in navigating the galleon. And now the commodore learnt, from
some of the prisoners, that the other ship, which he had kept in the
port of Acapulco the preceding year, instead of returning in company
with the present prize, as was expected, had set sail from Acapulco
alone much sooner than usual, and had, in all probability, got into
the port of Manilla long before the Centurion arrived off Espiritu
Santo; so that Mr Anson, notwithstanding his present success, had
great reason to regret his loss of time at Macao, which prevented him
from taking two rich prizes instead of one.
The commodore, when the action was ended, resolved to make the best of
his way with his prize for the river of Canton, being in the mean time
fully employed in securing his prisoners, and in removing the treasure
from on board the galleon into the Centurion. The last of these
operations was too important to be postponed; for as the navigation to
Canton was through seas but little known, and where, from the season
of the year, much bad weather might be expected, it was of great
consequence that the treasure should be sent on board the Centurion,
which ship, by the presence of the commander in chief, the greater
number of her hands, and her other advantages, was doubtless much
safer against all the casualties of winds and seas than the galleon;
and the securing the prisoners was a matter of still more consequence,
as not only the possession of the treasure, but the lives of the
captors, depended thereon. This was indeed an article which gave the
commodore much trouble and disquietude; for they were above double the
number of his own people; and some of them, when they were brought on
board the Centurion, and had observed how slenderly she was manned,
and the large proportion which the striplings bore to the rest, could
not help expressing themselves with great indignation to be thus
beaten by a handful of boys. The method, which was taken to hinder
them from rising, was by placing all but the officers and the
wounded in the hold, where, to give them as much air as possible, two
hatch-ways were left open; but then (to avoid all danger, whilst
the Centurion's people should be employed upon the deck) there was a
square partition of thick planks, made in the shape of a funnel,
which enclosed each hatch-way on the lower deck, and reached to
that directly over it on the upper deck; these funnels served to
communicate the air to the hold better than could have been done
without them; and, at the same time, added greatly to the security of
the ship; for they being seven or eight feet high, it would have been
extremely difficult for the Spaniards to have clambered up; and
still to augment that difficulty, four swivel-guns loaded with
musquet-bullets were planted at the mouth of each funnel, and a
centinel with lighted match constantly attended, prepared to fire into
the hold amongst them, in case of any disturbance. Their officers,
who amounted to seventeen or eighteen, were all lodged in the first
lieutenant's cabin, under a constant guard of six men; and the
general, as he was wounded, lay in the commodore's cabin with a
centinel always with him; and they were all informed, that any
violence or disturbance would be punished with instant death. And
that the Centurion's people might be at all times prepared, if,
notwithstanding these regulations, any tumult should arise, the small
arms were constantly kept loaded in a proper place, whilst all the men
went armed with cutlasses and pistols; and no officer ever pulled off
his cloaths, and when he slept had always his arms lying ready by him.
These measures were obviously necessary, considering the hazards to
which the commodore and his people would have been exposed, had they
been less careful. Indeed, the sufferings of the poor prisoners,
though impossible to be alleviated, were much to be commiserated; for
the weather was extremely hot, the stench of the hold loathsome beyond
all conception, and their allowance of water but just sufficient to
keep them alive, it not being practicable to spare them more than at
the rate of a pint a-day for each, the crew themselves having only an
allowance of a pint and a half. All this considered, it was wonderful
that not a man of them died during their long confinement, except
three of the wounded, who died the same night they were taken; though
it must be confessed, that the greatest part of them were strangely
metamorphosed by the heat of the hold; for when they were first taken,
they were sightly, robust fellows; but when, after above a month's
imprisonment, they were discharged in the river of Canton, they were
reduced to mere skeletons; and their air and looks corresponded much
more to the conception formed of ghosts and spectres, than to the
figure and appearance of real men.
Thus employed in securing the treasure and the prisoners, the
commodore stood for the river of Canton; and, on the 30th of June, at
six in the evening, got sight of Cape Delangano, which then bore west
ten leagues distant; and, the next day, he made the Bashee islands,
and the wind being so far to the northward, that it was difficult to
weather them, it was resolved to stand through between Grafton and
Monmouth islands, where the passage seemed to be clear; but in getting
through, the sea had a very dangerous aspect, for it rippled and
foamed, as if it had been full of breakers, which was still more
terrible, as it was then night. But the ships got through very safe,
(the prize always keeping a-head) and it was found that the appearance
which had alarmed them had been occasioned only by a strong tide. I
must here observe, that though the Bashee islands are usually reckoned
to be no more than five, yet there are many more lying about them
to the westward, which, as the channels amongst them are not at all
known, makes it advisable for ships, rather to pass to the northward
or southward, than through them; and indeed the commodore proposed
to have gone to the northward, between them and Formosa, had it been
possible for him to have weathered them. From hence the Centurion
steering the proper course for the river of Canton, she, on the 8th
of July, discovered the island of Supata, the westermost of the
Lema islands. This island they made to be an hundred and thirty-nine
leagues distant from Grafton's island, and to bear from it north 82°,
37° west: And, on the 11th, having taken on board two Chinese 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 galleon were well
ascertained, and it was found that she had on board 1,313,843 pieces
of eight, and 35,682 oz. of virgin silver, besides some cochineal, and
a few other commodities, which, however, were but of small account, in
comparison of the specie. And this being the commodore's last prize,
it hence appears, that all the treasure taken by the Centurion was
not much short of 400,000l. independent of the ships and merchandise,
which she either burnt or destroyed, and which, by the most reasonable
estimation, could not amount to so little as 600,000l. more; so that
the whole loss of the enemy, by our squadron, did doubtless exceed a
million sterling. To which, if there be added the great expence of the
court of Spain, in fitting out Pizarro, and in paying the additional
charges in America, incurred on our account, together with the loss
of their men of war, the total of all these articles will be a most
exorbitant sum, and is the strongest conviction of the utility of this
expedition, which, with all its numerous disadvantages, did yet prove
so extremely prejudicial to the enemy.