"WHEREAS His Majesty was pleased to sign certain instructions, bearing date the 31st day of January, 1739-40, directed to you, we have ordered the same to be herewith delivered to you, and have thought fit also to give you these additional instructions for your conduct.

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His Majesty having been pleased to suspend your sailing from England till this time, when the season of the year will permit you to make your intended voyage directly to the South Seas in America (which at some particular seasons is extremely difficult, if not impracticable), you are now to proceed forthwith, with His Majesty's ships under your command, directly to the South Seas, either by going round Cape Horn or through the Straits of Magellan, and to act according to the directions contained in His Majesty's instructions to you. But you are to regard that part of the said instructions whereby you were ordered (in case you should be too late for your passage to the South Seas) to proceed directly to the River Plata, and there to remain till the season of the year should permit you to go with safety to the South Seas, to be at present out of the question, and of no force. And whereas you are directed by His Ma

jesty's instructions to cause the land-forces, which are to go on board His Majesty's ships under your command, to be put on shore, on one particular occasion, with the approbation of the proper officers, you are to understand it to be His Majesty's intention that the said land-forces are in no case to be put on shore, unless it shall be previously approved by a council of war to be held for that purpose.

"Whereas a letter written by the Governor of Panama to the King of Spain has fallen into the hands of some of his Majesty's officers, which letter contains very material advices relating to the situation of the Spaniards, and to the keeping of their treasure in those parts, a copy of the same will, by our order, be herewith put into your hands; and you are to have a regard to the intelligence therein contained in the execution of the orders given you in his Majesty's instructions.

"In case of your inability, by sickness or otherwise, to execute his Majesty's orders, the officer next to you in rank is hereby authorized and directed to take upon him the command of his Majesty's ships that are to go with you; and to execute the orders contained in your instructions, as if they were directed to himself."

CHAPTER II.

THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

Expedition sails and arrives at Madeira-Early appearance of sickness-St. Catharine's-St. Julian-Strait of Magellan-Tremendous storm-Scurvy-Socoro-Juan Fernandez-Arrival of the Tryal and Gloucester-Beauty of the island-Recovery of the surviving part of the crews-Number dreadfully reduced-Several prizes taken-Arrives off Paita-Attacks and burns the townAnson's conduct towards his prisoners-to some young ladiesGood result of it-Anson's generosity-Proceeds to the coast of California-Measures to intercept the Acapulco ship-Bad condition of the Gloucester-Removes her men and stores, and sets fire to her-Dreadful condition of Centurion from scurvy-The island Tinian-Beauty and fertility of-Centurion driven out to seaTransactions thereupon-Returns-Men healthy-Proceed to Macao-Ship refitted-Sails to look out for the Galeon-Meets, fights, and captures her-Carries her into China-Transactions thereParallel of Anson's voyage with Drake's-Some remarks on scurvy, and on the defective state of nautical science-Shipwreck of the Wager-Disasters which befel the commander and officers-and also those of the mutinous crew-Act to continue the crews of ships wrecked, &c., on full pay and under martial law.

1740 to 1744.

By having charge of the convoys, and owing to the long continuance of contrary winds, the passage to Madeira was prolonged to forty days, which is usually made in ten or twelve. At this island Anson remained about a week, taking in wine and other refreshments; and here Captain Norris requested permission to resign the command of the Gloucester, and return to England for the recovery of his health,

which gave a remove to the rest of the captains, and the command of the Tryal to Lieutenant Cheap. On the 3rd November Anson left Madeira, and on the 16th discharged one of the Pinks, at the request of the master, who stated that the time of the charterparty was arrived. On the 20th of that month the first mention occurs of that dreadful sickness, of the continuance and fatal effects of which there is no parallel in the annals of navigation. It is stated that "the captains of the squadron represented to the commodore that their ships' companies were very sickly, and that it was their own opinion, as well as their surgeons', that it would lead to the preservation of the men to let in more air between decks; for their ships were so deep, that they could not possibly open their lower ports. On this representation the commodore ordered six air-scuttles to be cut in each ship, in such places where they would least weaken it." On the 21st December they reached the island of St. Catharine's on the coast of Brazil. On their passage thither a number of men died of fever and dysentery, and eighty sick were landed there from the Centurion alone; and as many, in proportion, from the rest of the squadron. The ships were all now smoked, cleansed, and washed with vinegar, their sides and decks caulked, and new standing-rigging set up. These operations, with wooding and watering, occupied a month. A melancholy proof of the unhealthiness of this anchorage, or

perhaps of the rapid progress of a disease already caught, was afforded on ascertaining, when the tents were struck, that no less than twenty-eight of the Centurion's men had died, and the number of sick, in the same interval, increased from eighty to ninetysix; but it is too obvious that the seeds of the disease had been sown, from the day that the miserable invalids had inhumanly been forced into a service, for which they were utterly unfitted.

Port St. Julian was appointed as the first rendezvous, in the passage to which the Pearl parted company in a violent gale of wind, and the Tryal lost her mainmast. On the 18th January the Pearl joined, and the commodore learned from the commanding officer that he had buried Captain Kidd on the 31st of the preceding month; that he had seen, on the 10th, off Pepys' Island, five large ships, and, thinking them to be those of Anson, ran within gun-shot before he discovered his mistake, when he stood away and was chased the whole day, but towards evening they hauled to the southward. This was afterwards ascertained to be Pizarro's squadron.

On the 19th they reached St. Julian's, and the commodore despatched an officer to examine and report on the salt-pond described by Sir John Narborough: he brought back a very bad sample; and all that the boats could procure during their stay was about forty bushels. It was here decided, at a council of war, in the first place to attack Valdivia;