party with the fleet commanded by Admiral Balchen, and the expedition
under Lord Cathcart. As we made up in all twenty-one
men o f war, and a hundred and twenty-four fail of merchant-men
and tranfports, we had no hopes of getting out of the Channel
■ with fo large a number o f fhips, without the continuance of a fail-
wind for fome confiderable time. This was what we had every day
lefs and lefs reafon to expea, as the time of the equinox drew near;
fo that our golden dreams, and our ideal poffeffion o f the Peruvian
treafures, grew each day more faint, and the difficulties and dangers
of the paffage round Cape Horn in the winter feafon filled our
imaginations in their room. For it was forty days from our arrival
at St. Helens, to our final departure from thence: And even then
-{having orders to proceed without Lord Cathcart) we tided it
down the Channel with a coutrary wind. But this interval o f forty
days was not free from the difpleafing fatigue o f often fetting fail,
and being as often obliged to return ; nor exempt from dangers,
greater than have been fometimes undergone in furrounding the
globe. For, the wind coming fair for the firft time on the 23d o f
Augujl, we got under fail, and Admiral Balchen fhewed himfelf truly
felicitous to have proceeded to fea; but the wind foonreturning-ta
its old quarter, obliged us to put back to St. Helens, not without
confiderable hazard, and fome damage received by two o f the tranfports,
who, in tacking, ran foul o f each other. Befides this, we
made two or three more attempts to fail, but without any better fitc-
eefs. And, on the 6th of September, being returned to an anchor at
St. Helens, after one ofthefe fruitlefs efforts, the wind blew fo frelh,
that the whole fleet ftruek their yards and topmafts, to prevent
driving :■ Y e t, notwithffanding this precaution, the Centurion drove-
the next evening; and brought both cables a-head, and we were
m no fmalldanger o f driving foul of the Prince Frederick, a feventy-
gun (hip, moored at a- fmall diftance under our ftern ; though we
happily efcaped; by her driving at the fame time, and fe preferring,
hér diftance: But we did not think ourfelves fecure, till we atlaft
jfet go. the Iheet-anchor, which fortunately brought us up.
h However,*
However, on the,$>th of September, we were in feme degree
relieved from this lingering vexatious fituation, by an order which
Mr. Anfon received from the Lords Juftices, to put to fea the firft
opportunity with his own fquadron only, i f Lord Cathcart fhould
not be ready. Being thus freed from the troublefome company of
fo large a fleet, our Commodore refolved to weigh and tide it down
the Channel, as foon as the weather ffiould become fufficiently moderate
; and this might eafily have been done with our own fquadron
alone full two months fooner, had the orders o f the Admiralty,
fdr fupplyingus with feamen, been punftually complied with, and
had we met with none of'thofe other delays mentioned in this narration
It is true, our hopes of a fpeedy departure were even now
fomewhat damped, by a fubfequent order which Mr. ^ » r e c e iv e d
pn the 12th of September-, for by that he was required to take under
his convoy the St. Albans with the Turkey fleet, and to join the
Dragon and the Winchepr, with the Streights and the American
trade at Torbay or Plymouth, and to proceed with them to fea as
far as’ their way and ours lay together: This incumbrance of a
convoy gave us fome uneafiuefs, as we feared it might prove the
means of lengthening our paffage to the Maderas. However, Mr.
Anfon now having the command himfelf, refolved to adhere to his
former determination, and to tide it down the Channel with the
firft moderate weather; and, that the jundtion of his Convoy might
occafion as little lofi of time as poffible, he immediately fent direct
tions to Torbay, that the fleets he was there to take under his care
might be in a readinefs to join him inftantly On his approach. And
at laft on the ifith of September, he weighed from St. Helens; and,
though the wind was at firft contrary, had the good fortune to get
clear of the Channel in four days, as will be more particularly related
in the enfuing chapter. . . .
Having thus gone, through the refpeaive fteps taken in the equipment
of this fquadron, it is fufficiently obvious how different an
afoea this expedition bore at its firft appointment in the b eginning of
r C 2 January^