THE COMMODORE'S INSTRUCTIONS--BAD WEATHER--NARROW ESCAPE OF THE
PEARL--ST JULIAN.
THE LAST AMICABLE PORT.
In leaving St. Catherine's, we left the last amicable port we proposed to
touch at, and were now proceeding to a hostile, or at best a desert and
inhospitable coast. And as we were to expect a more boisterous climate to
the southward than any we had yet experienced, not only our danger of
separation would by this means be much greater than it had been hitherto,
but other accidents of a more pernicious nature were likewise to be
apprehended, and as much as possible to be provided against. And
therefore Mr. Anson, in appointing the various stations at which the
ships of the squadron were to rendezvous, had considered that it was
possible his own ship might be disabled from getting round Cape Horn, or
might be lost; and had given proper directions that even in that case the
expedition should not be abandoned. For the orders delivered to the
captains the day before we sailed for St. Catherine's were that in case
of separation--which they were with the utmost care to endeavour to
avoid--the first place of rendezvous should be the Bay of Port St.
Julian. If after a stay there of ten days, they were not joined by the
Commodore, they were then to proceed through Straits le Maire round Cape
Horn into the South Seas, where the next place of rendezvous was to be
the island of Nuestra Senora del Socoro.* They were to bring this island
to bear east-north-east, and to cruise from five to twelve leagues'
distance from it, as long as their store of wood and water would permit,
both which they were to expend with the utmost frugality. And when they
were under an absolute necessity of a fresh supply, they were to stand
in, and endeavour to find out an anchoring-place; and in case they could
not, and the weather made it dangerous to supply their ships by standing
off and on, they were then to make the best of their way to the island of
Juan Fernandez. And as soon as they had recruited their wood and water,
they were to continue cruising off the anchoring-place of that island for
fifty-six days, in which time, if they were not joined by the Commodore,
they might conclude that some accident had befallen him; and they were
forthwith to put themselves under the command of the senior officer, who
was to use his utmost endeavours to annoy the enemy both by sea and land.
With these views their new Commodore was to continue in those seas as
long as his provisions lasted, or as long as they were recruited by what
he should take from the enemy, reserving only a sufficient quantity to
carry him and the ships under his command to Macao at the entrance of the
River Tigris, near Canton, on the coast of China, where, having supplied
himself with a new stock of provisions he was thence without delay to
make the best of his way to England.
(*Note. Nuestra Senora del Socoro is one of the smaller outer islands of
the Chonos Archipelago on the western coast of Patagonia.)
The next day we had very squally weather, attended with rain, lightning,
and thunder; but it soon became fair again, with light breezes, and
continued thus till Wednesday evening, when it blew fresh again; and
increasing all night, by eight the next morning it became a most violent
storm, and we had with it so thick a fog that it was impossible to see at
the distance of two ships' lengths, so that the whole squadron
disappeared.* On this a signal was made by firing guns, to bring to with
the larboard tacks, the wind being then due east. We ourselves lay to
under a reefed mizzen till noon, when the fog dispersed; and we soon
discovered all the ships of the squadron, except the Pearl, which did not
join us till near a month afterwards. The Trial sloop was a great way to
leeward, having lost her mainmast in this squall, and having been
obliged, for fear of bilging, to cut away the wreck. We bore down with
the squadron to her relief, and the Gloucester was ordered to take her in
tow, for the weather did not entirely abate until the day after, and even
then a great swell continued from the eastward in consequence of the
preceding storm.
(*Note. i.e. from the sight of those on board the Centurion.)
A RUSE DE GUERRE.
On the 17th of February at five in the afternoon, we came to an anchor in
the latitude of 48 degrees 58 minutes. 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 top-mast
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 hesitated 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.
(*Note. Captain Mitchel commanded the Pearl when the squadron started;
but Captain Norris of the Gloucester had gone home sick from Madeira and
several changes had taken place in the commands. The death of Captain
Kidd caused fresh promotions. Captain Mitchel now commanded the
Gloucester and Captain Murray the Pearl; while Lieutenants Cheap and
Saunders had been promoted captains of the Wager and Trial.)
And now, had it not been for the 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 the present condition, some stay there was inevitable;
and, therefore, we 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 six o'clock we anchored in the Bay of St. Julian. 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. Here
the Commodore, too, in order to ease the expedition of all unnecessary
expense, held a 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 the necessity of retaining the 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.
(*Note. The Industry pink had been unloaded and discharged on November
19th.)