The expedition under Commodore Anson was fitted out by the English
government in the year 1740, to attack the Spanish settlements in
America. The squadron consisted of six vessels of war, and two
victuallers. These were the
Ships. Commanders. Guns. Men.
Centurion George Anson 60 400
Gloucester Richard Norris 50 300
Severn Edward Legge 50 300
Pearl Matt. Mitchell 40 250
Wager Dandy Kidd 28 160
Trial Sloop John Murray 8 100
On the 18th of September, 1740, the squadron weighed from St. Helens,
and reached Madeira the 25th of October. Having sailed hence, they
discovered the land of Brazil, on the 16th of December, and on the
evening of the 19th cast anchor at the island of St. Catherines.
Having repaired their vessels, they quitted this place on the 18th of
January, and on the same day of the following month came to anchor in
the Bay of St. Julian. The squadron again stood to sea on the 28th of
February, when the Gloucester not being able to purchase her anchor,
was obliged to cut her cable, and leave her best bower behind. Having
reached the southern extremity of the straits of Le Maire, the wind
shifted and blew in violent squalls, and the tide turned furiously
against them, driving to the eastward with such rapidity, that the two
sternmost vessels, the Wager and the Anna Pink, with the utmost
difficulty escaped being dashed in pieces on the shore of Staten
Island.
[Illustration: CITY OF HAVANA.]
[Illustration: SCENE AT HAVANA.]
For above three months they struggled with severe gales and terrific
waves, and on the 1st of April, the weather, after having been a
little more moderate, returned to its former violence; the sky looked
dark and gloomy, and the wind began to freshen and blow in squalls;
and there were all the appearances of an approaching tempest.
Accordingly, on the 3d, there came on a storm, which exceeded in
violence and duration all they had hitherto encountered. On the 14th
in the morning the weather clearing up a little and the moon shining
out on a sudden, the Anna Pink made a signal for seeing land right
a-head; and it being then only two miles distant, they were under
great apprehensions of running on shore; and had not the wind suddenly
shifted, or the moon shone out, every ship must have perished. They
found this land, to their disappointment, to be Cape Noir, though they
imagined they were ten degrees more to the west. On the evening of the
24th of April, the wind increased to a prodigious storm, and, about
midnight, the weather became so thick that the whole squadron
separated, nor met again till they reached the island of Juan
Fernandez. To add to their misfortunes, the scurvy began to make such
havoc, that on board the Centurion only, it carried off forty-three
men in the month of April, and twice that number in May.
On the 22d of May the Centurion encountered the severest storm it had
yet experienced. Almost all the sails were split; the rigging was
destroyed, and a mountainous wave breaking over them on the starboard
quarter, gave the vessel such a shock, that several of the shrouds
were broke, and the ballast and stores so strangely shifted, that she
lay on her larboard side. The wind at length abating a little, they
began to exert themselves to stirrup the shrouds, reeve new lanyards,
and mend the sails; during which they ran great risk of being driven
on the island of Chiloe. After many difficulties they at length
reached the island of Juan Fernandez, in a most desponding condition.
Here many of the crew died of weariness and disease.
A few days after the Centurion had arrived, the Trial Sloop appeared
in sight, and on the 21st of June the Gloucester was discovered to
leeward. The Anna Pink arrived about the middle of August, which, with
the Trial and Gloucester, mentioned above, were the only vessels that
ever joined the squadron; for the Severn and Pearl, having parted from
the commodore off Cape Horn, with difficulty reached Brazil, whence
they made the best of their way back to Europe, while the Wager was
wrecked on the coast. The Anna Pink being judged unlit for service,
was taken for the use of the squadron, and her men were sent on board
the Gloucester.
About eleven in the morning of the 8th of September, they discovered a
sail; when the Centurion, being in the greatest forwardness, made
after her as fast as possible. Night coming on they lost sight of the
chase. About three in the morning of the 12th, a brisk gale springing
up at W. S. W. obliged them to lie upon a N. W. tack, which at break
of day, brought them within sight of a sail, at about five leagues
distant. She appeared to be a large vessel, and upon hoisting Spanish
colors, and bearing towards the Centurion, the commodore ordered
everything ready for an engagement; but upon coming nearer, she
appeared to be a merchantman, without a single tier of guns, and had
mistaken the Centurion for her consort. She soon surrendered, and was
found to be a valuable prize.
It appearing from letters on board the prize, that several other
merchantmen were at sea, between Callao and Valparaiso, the commodore
sent the Trial sloop, to cruise off the latter port; and ordered the
Gloucester to cruise off the island of Paita, till she should be
joined by the Centurion. The Centurion and her prize weighing from the
bay of Juan Fernandez, on the 19th of September, took her course to
the eastward, proposing to join the Trial off Valparaiso.
On the 24th, in the evening, they came up with the latter, having
taken a prize of six hundred tons burden, laden with a rich cargo. On
the 27th, the captain of the Trial came on board the Centurion,
bringing with him an instrument, subscribed by himself and all his
officers, setting forth that the vessel was so leaky and defective,
that it was at the hazard of their lives they staid on board; upon
which, the commodore having ordered the crew and every thing of value
to be put on board the prize, the Trial was scuttled and sunk. It was
now resolved to join the Gloucester off Paita. With this view they
stood to the northward, and, on the 10th of November discovered a
sail, which Lieutenant Brett was ordered to chase, with the Trial’s
pinnace and barge. They found her to be a Spanish vessel of two
hundred and seventy tons burden. From the prisoners they learned that,
a few days before, a vessel had entered Paita, the master of which
told the governor he had been chased by a very large ship, which he
imagined to be one of the English squadron, and that the governor had
immediately sent an express to Lima, to carry the news to the viceroy,
while the royal officer residing at Paita had been busily employed in
removing both the king’s treasure and his own to Piuza, a town
fourteen leagues within land. It was at once conjectured that the ship
which had chased the vessel into Paita was the Gloucester; and, as
they were now discovered, and the coast would soon be alarmed, so as
to prevent cruising to any advantage, the commodore resolved to
endeavor to surprise the place that very night.
When the ships were within five leagues of Paita, about ten o’clock at
night, Lieutenant Brett, with the boats under his command, put off,
and arrived without being discovered, at the mouth of the bay; though
he had no sooner entered it, than some of the people on board a vessel
riding at anchor there, perceived him, and immediately getting into
their boat, rowed towards the shore, crying out ‘the English, the
English dogs,’ etc., by which the town was alarmed and the attack
discovered. The town was, however, taken in less than a quarter of an
hour from the first landing of the boats; with the loss of one man
killed and two wounded.
They weighed anchor from the coast of Paita on the 16th of November,
the squadron being increased to six sail by the prizes. On the morning
of the 18th, they discovered the Gloucester with a small vessel in
tow, which joined them about three in the afternoon, when they learned
that captain Mitchell had taken two prizes, one of which had a cargo
consisting of wine, brandy and olives, and about seven thousand pounds
in specie; and the other was a launch, the people on board which, when
taken, were eating their dinner from silver dishes. Notwithstanding
this circumstance, the prisoners alleged that they were very poor:
having nothing on board, but cotton made up in jars, which, being
removed on board the Gloucester, were examined, when the whole
appeared to be an extraordinary piece of false package; there being
concealed among the cotton, doubloons and dollars, to the amount of
twelve thousand pounds.
The cargo and crews of the several vessels were afterwards divided
between the Centurion and Gloucester. Quitting the coast of America,
they stood for China, the 6th of May, 1742. The Gloucester, which had
become decayed, was cleared of every thing by the 15th of August, and
then set on fire. On the 27th they arrived at the island of Tinian,
where they remained some time. On the night of the 22d of September,
when it was excessively dark, the wind blew from the eastward with
such fury, that those on board despaired of riding out the storm. At
this time Mr. Anson was ill of the scurvy, and most of the hands were
on shore, and all the hopes of safety of those on board seemed to
depend on immediately putting to sea; all communication between the
ship and the island being destroyed.
About one o’clock a strong gust, attended with rain and lightning,
drove them to sea, where, being unprepared to struggle with the fury
of winds and waves, they expected each moment to be their last. When
at daybreak, it was perceived by those on shore that the ship was
missing, they concluded her lost, and many of them begged the
commodore to send the boat round the island to look for the wreck. In
the midst of their gloomy reflections, the commodore formed a plan for
extricating them from their present situation; which was by hauling
the Spanish barque on shore, sawing her asunder, and lengthening her
twelve feet; which would enlarge her to near forty tons burden, and
enable her to carry them all to China.
But a discouraging circumstance now occurred, which was, that they had
neither compass nor quadrant on the island. At length, on rummaging a
chest belonging to the Spanish bark, they found a small compass, which
though not much superior to those made for the amusement of
school-boys, was to them of the utmost importance.
When this obstacle was removed, and all things ready for sailing, it
happened on the afternoon of the 11th of October, that one of the
Gloucester’s men being upon a hill, saw the Centurion at a distance.
She was soon visible to all, and the next day cast anchor in the road.
On the 14th, a sudden gust of wind drove her to sea a second time, but
in about five days, they returned again to anchor. On the 20th of
October, they set fire to the bark and proa, hoisted in their boats,
and got under sail, steering away towards the south end of the island
of Macao.
About midnight, on the 5th of November, they made the mainland of
China, and on the morning of the 9th, a Chinese pilot came on board,
and told them that he would carry the ship into Macao for thirty
dollars, which being paid him they proceeded, and on the 12th entered
the harbor of Macao.
On the 6th of April the Centurion again stood out to sea. On the last
day of May they came in sight of Cape Espiritu Santo, where they
continued to cruize till the 20th of June, when about sunrise the
great Manilla ship came in sight, having the standard of Spain flying
at the top-gallant-mast head, and to the commodore’s surprise, bore
down upon him. The engagement soon began, and lasted an hour and a
half, when the galleon struck to the Centurion, after having
sixty-seven men killed and eighty-four wounded. The Centurion had only
two men killed and seventeen wounded. The prize carried five hundred
men and thirty-six guns, and her cargo was worth £400,000 sterling. It
is impossible to describe the transports on board, when, after all
their reiterated disappointments, they at length saw their wishes
accomplished. But their joy was very near being suddenly damped by a
very alarming accident; for no sooner had the galleon struck, than one
of the lieutenants coming to Mr. Anson, whispered him, that the
Centurion was dangerously on fire near the powder-room. The commodore
received this shocking intelligence without any apparent emotion, and
taking care not to alarm his people, gave the necessary orders for
extinguishing the fire, which was done, though its first appearance
threatened the ship with destruction.
On the 14th, the Centurion cast anchor off Bocca Tigris, forming the
mouth of that river: and having got under sail on the 16th of October,
1743, came to anchor in the straits of Sunda on the 3d of January, and
continued there till the 8th, taking in wood and water, when she
weighed and stood for the Cape of Good Hope, where, on the 11th of
March, she came to anchor in Table Bay. Mr. Anson continued here till
the 3d of April, 1744, when he put to sea, and on the 19th of the
month, was in sight of St. Helena, but did not touch at it.
On the 12th of June they got in sight of the Lizard, and on the
evening of the 15th, to their great joy, came safe to anchor at
Spithead. On his arrival Mr. Anson learned, that under cover of a
thick fog, he had run through a French fleet, which was at that time
cruizing in the chops of the channel.