THE PRIZES SCUTTLED--NEWS OF THE SQUADRON REACHES ENGLAND--BOUND FOR CHINA.
The next morning after our coming to an anchor in the harbour of
Chequetan, we sent about ninety of our men well armed on shore, forty of
whom were ordered to march into the country, and the remaining fifty were
employed to cover the watering-place and to prevent any interruption from
the natives. Here it was agreed after a mature consultation to destroy
the Trial's prize, as well as the Carmelo and Carmen, whose fate had been
before resolved on. Indeed, the ship was in good repair and fit for the
sea; but as the whole number on board our squadron did not amount to the
complement of a fourth-rate man-of-war, we found it was impossible to
divide them into three ships without rendering them incapable of
navigating in safety in the tempestuous weather we had reason to expect
on the coast of China, where we supposed we should arrive about the time
of the change of the monsoons. These considerations determined the
Commodore to destroy the Trial's prize and to reinforce the Gloucester
with the greatest part of her crew. And in consequence of this resolve,
all the stores on board the Trial's prize were removed into the other
ships, and the prize herself, with the Carmelo and Carmen, were prepared
for scuttling with all the expedition we were masters of. But the great
difficulties we were under in laying in a store of water, together with
the necessary repairs of our rigging and other unavoidable occupations,
took us up so much time, and found us such unexpected employment, that it
was near the end of April before we were in a condition to leave the
place.
During our stay here there happened an incident which proved the means of
convincing our friends in England of our safety, which for some time they
had despaired of and were then in doubt about. From this harbour of
Chequetan there was but one pathway, which led through the woods into the
country. This we found much beaten, and were thence convinced that it was
well known to the inhabitants. As it passed by the spring-head, and was
the only avenue by which the Spaniards could approach us, we, at some
distance beyond the spring-head, felled several large trees and laid them
one upon the other across the path, and at this barricade we constantly
kept a guard, and we, besides, ordered our men employed in watering to
have their arms ready and, in case of any alarm, to march instantly to
this spot; and though our principal intention was to prevent our being
disturbed by any sudden attack of the enemy's horse, yet it answered
another purpose which was not in itself less important, this was to
hinder our own people from straggling singly into the country, where we
had reason to believe they would be surprised by the Spaniards, who would
doubtless be extremely solicitous to pick up some of them in hopes of
getting intelligence of our future designs. To avoid this inconvenience,
the strictest orders were given to the sentinels to let no person
whatever pass beyond their post.
THE COMMODORE'S COOK.
But, notwithstanding this precaution, we missed one Lewis Leger, who was
the Commodore's cook, and as he was a Frenchman, and suspected to be a
Papist, it was by some imagined that he had deserted with a view of
betraying all that he knew to the enemy; but this appeared by the event
to be an ill-grounded surmise, for it was afterwards known that he had
been taken by some Indians, who carried him prisoner to Acapulco, whence
he was transferred to Mexico and then to Vera Cruz, where he was shipped
on board a vessel bound to Old Spain; and the vessel being obliged by
some accident to put into Lisbon, Leger escaped on shore, and was by the
British consul sent thence to England, where he brought the first
authentic account of the safety of the Commodore, and of what he had done
in the South Seas. The relation he gave of his own seizure was that he
had rambled into the woods at some distance from the barricade, where he
had first attempted to pass, but had been stopped and threatened to be
punished; that his principal view was to get a quantity of limes for his
master's store, and that in this occupation he was surprised unawares by
four Indians, who stripped him naked and carried him in that condition to
Acapulco, exposed to the scorching heat of the sun, which at that time of
the year shone with its greatest violence. And afterwards at Mexico his
treatment in prison was sufficiently severe, and the whole course of his
captivity was a continued instance of the hatred which the Spaniards bear
to all those who endeavour to disturb them in the peaceable possession of
the coasts of the South Seas. Indeed, Leger's fortune was, upon the
whole, extremely singular, for after the hazards he had run in the
Commodore's squadron, and the severities he had suffered in his long
confinement amongst the enemy, a more fatal disaster attended him on his
return to England; for though, when he arrived in London, some of Mr.
Anson's friends interested themselves in relieving him from the poverty
to which his captivity had reduced him, yet he did not long enjoy the
benefit of their humanity, for he was killed in an insignificant night
brawl, the cause of which could scarcely be discovered.
On the 28th of April the Centurion and the Gloucester weighed anchor.
Being now in the offing of Chequetan, bound across the vast Pacific Ocean
in our way to China, we were impatient to run off the coast as soon as
possible, as the stormy season was approaching apace, and we had no
further views in the American seas.
The sending away our prisoners* was our last transaction on the American
coast, for no sooner had we parted with them than we and the Gloucester
made sail to the south-west, proposing to get a good offing from the
land, where we hoped in a few days to meet with the regular trade-wind.
It has been esteemed no uncommon passage to run from hence to the
easternmost parts of Asia in two months, and we flattered ourselves that
we were as capable of making an expeditious passage as any ship that had
ever run this course before us; so that we hoped soon to gain the coast
of China. On the 6th of May we for the last time lost sight of the
mountains of Mexico, persuaded that in a few weeks we should arrive at
the river of Canton in China, where we expected to meet with many English
ships, and numbers of our countrymen, and hoped to enjoy the advantages
of an amicable, well-frequented spot, inhabited by a polished people, and
abounding with the conveniences and indulgences of a civilised
life--blessings which now for nearly twenty months had never been once in
our power.
(*Note. Before leaving the American coast for China, Anson released
fifty-seven of his prisoners, including all the Spaniards, and sent them
to Acapulco. A certain number of natives were retained to assist in
working the ships. There had been some previous attempt at correspondence
between Anson and the Spanish governor of Acapulco. The latter, with
Spanish courtesy, when answering Anson's letter, despatched with his
answer "a present of two boats laden with the choicest refreshments and
provisions which were to be found in Acapulco." Unfortunately the boats
were unable to find Anson, and he never received either the letter or the
present.)