C H A P I I I .
The hiftory of the Spanijh fquadron commanded by
Don Jofeph Pizarro.
THE fquadron fitted out by the Court o f Spain, to attend
our morions, .and traverfe our proje£ts,we fuppofed to have
been the fliips feen off Madera, as mentioned in the pre-.
ceding chapter. As this force was fent out particularly againft
our expedition, I cannot but imagine, that the following hiftory
o f the cafualties it met with, as far as by intercepted letters and
other information the fame has come to my knowledge, is a very
effential part of the prefent work. For hence it will appear, that
we were the occafion, that a confiderable part of the naval power
o f Spain was diverted from the profecution o f the ambitious views
o f that Court in Europe. And whatever men and fliips were loft
by the enemy in this undertaking, were loft in confequence o f the
precautions they took to fecure themfelves againft our enterprizes.
The fquadron (befides two fliips intended for the Weji-Indies,
which did not part company till after they had left the Maderas)
was compofedof the following men of war, commanded by Don
Jofeph Pizarro.
The Afia of fixty-fix guns, and feven hundred men: this was
the Admiral’s fliip. f th , , .
The Guipufcoa of feventy-four guns, and feven hundred men. .
The Hermiona of fifty-four guns, and five hundred men.
The Efperanza o f fifty guns, and four hundred and fifty men.
T h e St. EJlevan of forty guns, and three hundred and fifty men.
And a Petache of twenty guns.
Thefe (hips, over and above their complement of failors and marines,
had on board an old Spanijh regiment o f foot, intended to
reinforce
o
R O U N D T H E W O R L D , I I
reinforce the garrifotis on the coaft of the South-Seas. When this
fleet had cruized for fome days to the leeward of the Maderas, as
is mentioned in the preceding chapter, they left that ftation in the
beginning of November, and fleered for the river of Plate, where
they arrived the" 5 th of January, O. S. and coming to an anchor .in
the bay of Maldonado, at the mouth of that river, their Admiral
Pizarro fent immediately to Buenos Ayres for a fupply o f provi-
fions- for they had departed from Spain with only four months
provifions on board. While they lay here expefting this fupply,
they received intelligence, by the treachery of the Portuguefe Governor
of St. Catherine's, of Mr. Anfan's having arrived at that
Ifland on the 21ft of December preceding, and of his preparing to
put to.fea again with the ufmoft expedition. Pizarro, notwith*
ftanding his fuperior force, had his reafons (and as fome fay his orders
likewife) for avoiding our fquadron any where Ihort of the
South-Seas. He was befides extremely defirous pf getting round
Cape Her« before us, as he imagined that ftep alone would effeftually
baffle all our defigns; and therefore, pn hearing that we were iti
his neighbourhood, and that we fhoutd foonbe ready to proceed for
Cape Horn, he weighed anchor with the five large fliips (the P e -'
tache being difabled and condemned, and th.e mert taken out o f
her),- after a ftay of feventeen days only, and got under fail without'
his provifipns, which arrived at Maldonado within.aday or two after
his departure. But, notwLthftanding the precipitation with which
he departed, we put to fea from St, Catherine's four fiays before him j
and in fome part o f our pafiage to Cape Horn, the two fquadrons.
were fo near together, that the Pearl, one of our fliips, being fep.a-
rated from the reft, fell in with the Spanijh fleet, and, miftaking.the
J]ia for the Centurion, had got within gun-fliot of Pizarro before
Ihe difcpye.ued her error, and narrowly efcaped being taken.
It being the ?zd of January when the Spaniards weighed from
Maldonado (as has been already mentioned), they could hot expert
to get into the latitude of Cape Horn before the equinox 3 and as
they bad reafon to apprehend very tempeftuous weather in doubling
it