"the air of a magnificent plantation, where large lawns "and stately woods had been laid out together with great "skill, and where the whole had been so artfully com"bined, and so judiciously adapted to the slopes of the "hills and the inequalities of the ground, as to produce 66 a most striking effect, and to do honour to the inven"tion of the contriver." * One of their first objects was now to repair the ship: every seam was caulked and leaded over, and the leak stopped, not indeed effectually, but as well as the circumstances would allow. But, meanwhile, the roads in which the Centurion lay at anchor were by no means secure, and ere long exposed her to a new and unexpected peril. A violent equinoctial gale drove her far out to sea, while the greater part of the crew, and Anson himself, were on shore: there were scarcely hands sufficient to man her, the vessel was unrigged, and thus there seemed but little probability of her weathering the storm and returning to the island.

What then were the prospects of the sailors on shore? In a deserted island-six hundred leagues from their nearest port, Macao, on the coast of China; none of them acquainted with that voyage;- not even a compass or a quadrant left amongst them, with but ninety charges of powder, or less than one to every firelock; with no means of embarkation but a small Spanish vessel of about fifteen tons, which they had seized on their first arrival, and which could not hold a fourth part of their number:- such a situation might have daunted any ardent spirit, elated by success or quelled by reverses; it scarcely ruffled the usual composure and steadiness of Anson. By concealing from the men his own apprehensions, he succeeded in allaying theirs. He assured them that, at the worst, the gale which had driven the Centurion out to sea, and which still continued, would only oblige her to bear away for Macao, and that the single thing needful was to rejoin her at that port. For this purpose he proposed to haul the Spanish bark on shore, to saw it asunder, and to lengthen it twelve feet, which would enlarge it to near forty tons burthen, and enable

it to carry them all to China. Nothing is wanting to

* Lord Anson's Voyage, p. 412.

1740.

ANSON AT MACAO.

53

"this plan," added Anson, "but the united resolution and " industry of all; for my own part I will share the labour "with you, and expect no more from any man, than what "I, your Commodore, am ready to submit to." Confidence like fear is contagious. The sailors recovering by degrees from their first despondency, heartily engaged in the project, and set themselves with cheerfulness to the different tasks allotted them. Many materials were wanting, some tools were to be made; still, however, the work advanced; and one day in searching a chest belonging to the Spanish bark, they espied a small compass, which though little better than the toys usually made for children, to them appeared an invaluable treasure; and some time afterwards, by a similar piece of good fortune, they found on the sea shore a quadrant, which had been thrown overboard amongst other lumber belonging to the dead. Already had they fixed a day to begin their voyage, when happily, on the 11th of October, one of the sailors being upon a hill in the middle of the island, descried the Centurion out at sea, and ran down loudly shouting “The Ship! "the Ship!" to his comrades at their labour. At these joyful words the Commodore flung down the axe with which he was at work then for the first time breaking through the even and unvaried demeanour he had hitherto maintained. The others, in a kind of frenzy, tumultuously rushed to the sea shore, eager to feast their eyes with a sight so long desired and scarcely yet believed.

It appeared that the Centurion, though driven a considerable distance, and exposed to imminent perils, had yet, by good management and excessive labour, been enabled to return to her station. After her arrival, it was determined to make no longer stay in the island than was requisite to complete their stock of water. A prosperous gale soon wafted them to Macao. This was, as now, a Portuguese settlement, and therefore a friendly port to Anson, where he might justly expect to supply his exhausted stores, and repair his leaky ship. Yet, when he waited upon the Governor to make known his wants, the other declared that he durst not furnish him with any of the things required, unless an order were first obtained from the Viceroy of Canton; for that he himself received neither provisions for his garrison, nor other necessaries,

but through this permission, and that they were only doled out to him from day to day. A long and wearisome negotiation ensued between the Commodore and the Chinese. It was not till after much solicitation and delay on the part of this jealous people, that two Mandarins. were even sent on board to examine the defects of the ship and the necessities of the crew. To them Anson pointed out that a permission to purchase, which was all he demanded, could not safely be denied him; that they must be convinced that the Centurion alone was capable of destroying the whole navigation of the port of Canton, without running the least risk from all the force the Chinese could collect; that his men had hitherto behaved with great moderation, but that their hunger would at last prove too strong for any restraint; and that it could not be expected that they would long continue to starve in the midst of that plenty which their eyes daily witnessed. Nay, he even added, that if by the delay in supplying them with provisions they should be reduced to the necessity of turning cannibals, it was easy to foresee, that, independent of their friendship to each other, they would in point of taste prefer the plump well fed Chinese to their own emaciated shipmates! The Mandarins seemed struck with the force of these arguments, and immediately wrote a permit in the manner desired by the Commodore.

*

It was the beginning of April 1743 before the Centurion again put out to sea, new rigged, thoroughly repaired, and fit for fresh adventures. Anson had given out at Macao that he was bound to Batavia, and thence to England: nay, more, to confirm the delusion, he took on board letters for the former place; but no sooner was he clear of the coast, than summoning all his men on deck, he informed them that his real design was to cruise for the two annual ships (of last year and this) on their way from Acapulco. The sailors received this announcement with great joy and three hearty cheers.. Although each of these annual ships was known to be much larger and better manned than the Centurion, yet no doubt seemed to exist amongst the English of mastering both

* Anson's Voyage, p. 480.

1740.

THE GALLEON TAKEN.

55

together; and they spoke of the rich spoil as if already in their grasp. Their only fear was lest they might not find the enemy; none, that they should fail to subdue him.*

It was off Cape Espiritu Santo that the Commodore proceeded to cruise for the galleons; that being the first headland of the Philippine Islands to which they always steered, and where they usually arrived in the beginning of summer. He had already been a month on that station when, at length, early on the 20th of June the sailors with straining eyes and eager hearts beheld a sail rise on the horizon, and bearing closer to it, discovered it to be one of the long expected galleons. The Spaniards showed no intention to avoid an engagement: they were prepared to expect an enemy, and had resolved to fight; yet they had neglected clearing their ship till the last moment, when already within gunshot, being then observed to throw overboard their cattle and lumber. Anson, on the contrary, had made his dispositions with forethought and skill. Having learnt that 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 maintain the battle as before; he wholly disconcerted this scheme by stationing two men at each gun, and dividing the rest into gangs of ten or twelve each-the latter always to move about and fire such guns as were ready, thus keeping up a constant fire, instead of broadsides with intervals between them. Some of the best marksmen, also, he placed on the tops, from whence they made prodigious havoc, killing or wounding every officer but one that appeared on the Spanish quarter-deck, while that deck was likewise swept by the grape-shot from below. The Spaniards fought with bravery, though not with skill; but when their

* One instance of this confident spirit is given by Mr. Walter. "The Commodore having taken some Chinese sheep to sea with him "for his own provision, and one day inquiring of his butcher why "for some time past he had seen no mutton at his table, and whether "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." (Voyage, p. 493.)

66

General, who was the life of the action, had been disabled by a wound, they began to fall into disorder. The other officers were then seen attempting with great intrepidity to encourage their men, and prevent their desertion from their quarters, but all their endeavours were in vain; their fire slackened, and the proud standard of Spain was struck. They had 151 either killed or wounded, the Centurion only 19.

The name of the galleon was the Nuestra Señora de Covadonga*: it was much larger than the Centurion, and had 550 men, above double the number of the English; so that some of the prisoners, when brought on board the Centurion, and observing how slenderly she was manned, and the large proportion which the striplings bore to the rest, could not restrain their grief and indignation to be thus beaten, as they said, by a handful of boys. They informed the Commodore that the other ship, which had been detained in the port of Acapulco the preceding year, instead of returning in company with the second galleon as was expected, had sailed alone before the usual period, and was already no doubt in the port of Manilla. The value of the present prize, however, was so large as to atone for any other disappointment: it had on board, in silver coin and ingots, a million and a half of dollars— a rich and well-earned recompense for the toils of the gallant British crew.

To secure the prisoners was a task of no small risk, considering their great superiority of numbers. Anson, however, brought them safely with his prize into Canton, where he set them at liberty; and from thence he began his homeward voyage, passing round the Cape of Good Hope. He cast anchor at Spithead in June, 1744, after an absence of three years and nine months, thus concluding an expedition in which his happy combination of skill, intrepidity, and prudence, retrieved and rose superior to every disaster; and which, though unconnected with the general march of public affairs, is so honourable to the

*Covadonga is the cave in Asturias where Pelayo sought shelter with his Goths (Mariana, Hist. Hisp. lib. 7. c. 2.); and a church has been built there by Charles the Third. (Miñano, sub voce.)