WAITING FOR THE Manila GALLEON.
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 western 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 Manila 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 in time enough to intercept them. It is true they were
said to be stout vessels, mounting forty-four guns apiece, and carrying
above 500 hands, and might be expected to return in company; and he
himself had but 227 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
Manila 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 Manila, he had
reason to fear that, if his designs were discovered, intelligence would
be immediately sent to Manila and measures would be 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 Manila ships, of
whose wealth they were not ignorant. He told them he should choose 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 they 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.
CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS.
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 1st of May they saw part of the island of Formosa,
and standing thence to the southward, they, on the 4th of May about seven
in the evening, discovered from the masthead five small islands, which
were judged to be the Bashees, and they had afterwards a sight of Botel
Tobago Xima. After getting a sight of the Bashee Islands, they stood
between the south and south-west 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 south-south-west, 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 sentinels 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 west, and endeavoured to confine themselves between the
latitude of 12 degrees 50 minutes and 13 degrees 5 minutes.
It was the last of May, by the foreign style, when they arrived off this
cape; and the month of June, by the same style, being that in which the
Manila 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 recompense for all his care and attention. The men
were taught the shortest method of loading with cartridges, and were
constantly trained to fire at a mark, which was usually hung at the
yard-arm, and some little reward was given to the most expert. The whole
crew, by this management, were rendered extremely skilful, quick in
loading, all of them good marksmen, and some of them most extraordinary
ones, so that I doubt not but, in the use of small arms, they were more
than a match for double their number who had not been habituated to the
same kind of exercise.
AN ILL-TIMED DISAGREEMENT.
It was the last of May, New Style, as has been already said, when the
Centurion arrived off Cape Espiritu Santo, and consequently the next day
began the month in which the galleons were to be expected. The Commodore
therefore made all necessary preparations for receiving them. All this
time, too, he was very solicitous to keep at such a distance from the
cape as not to be discovered; but it has been since learned that
notwithstanding his care, he was seen from the land, and advice of him
was sent to Manila, where it was at first disbelieved; but on reiterated
intelligence (for it seems he was seen more than once) the 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 32 guns, one of 20 guns, and two sloops of 10 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 them, the commerce and the Government disagreed, and the
enterprise 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.