374 L O R D A N S O N ' S V O Y A G E
flood: Since it will, I fuppofe, be confeffed, that in two (hips of
war, equal in the number of their men and guns, the difpropor-
tion of ftrength, arifing from a greater or leffer dexterity in the ufe
of their great guns and fmall arms, is what can fcarcely be balanced
by any other circumftances whatever. For, as thefe are the weapons
with which they are to engage, what greater inequality can
there be betwixt two contending parties, than that one fide (hould
perfedtly underftand the management of them, and Ihould have
the (kill to employ them in the moft effectual manner for the annoyance
of their enemy; while the other fide Ihould, by their
awkward handling of their arms render them rather terrible to
themfelves, than mifchievous to their antagonifts ? This feems fo
obvious and natural a conclufion, that a perfon unacquainted with
thefe matters would fuppofe the firft care of a Commander to be
the training his people to the ready ufe of their arms.
But human affairs are not always condudted by the plain dicftates
of common fenfe. There are many other principles which influence
our tranfadfions : And there is one in particular, which, tho*.
of a very erroneous complexion, is fcarcely ever excluded from our
moft ferious deliberations ; I mean cuftom, or the pradtice of thofe
who have preceded us. This is ufually a power too mighty for
reafon to grapple with ; and is often extremely troublefome to
thofe who oppofe it, fince it has much of fuperftition in its nature,
and purfues all thofe who queftion its authority with unrelenting
vehemence. However, in thefe latter ages of the-world,1 fotne
lucky encroachments have been made upon its prerogative ; and it
may furely be expedled, that the Gentlemen of the Navy, whofe
particular profeffion hath within a. few years been con fiderably
improved by a number o f new inventions, will of all others, be!
the readied to give up any ufage which has nothing to plead
in its behalf but prefcription, and will not fuppofe that every
branch of their bufinefs hath already received all the perfedlion-
o f which it is capable. Indeed, it muft be owned, that if a
dexterity in the ufe of fmall arms, for inflance, hath been feme-
times lefs attended to on board our (hips of war, than might
have
have been wilhed for, it hath been rather owing to unlkilful
methods of teaching it, than to negligence. Since the common
failors, how ftrongly foever attached to their own prejudices, are
very quick-fighted in finding out the defedts of others, and have
ever (hewn a great contempt for the formalities pradtifed in the
training of land troops to the ufe of their arms. But when thofe
who have undertaken to inftruift the feamert have contented themfelves
with inculcating only what was ufeful, in the fimpleft manner,
they have conftantly found -their people fufftciently docile,
and the fuccefs hath even exceeded their expedition. Thus on
board Mr. An/on's (hip, where they were-taught no more of the
manual exercife than the ffiorteft method of loading, with cartridges,'
and were conftantly trained to fire at a mark, which was
ufually hung at the yard-arm, and where fome little reward was
given to the moftexpert, the whole crew, by this management,
were rendered extremely (kilful. For befides an uncommon readi-
nefs in loading, they were all of them good markfmen, and fome
of them moft extraordinary ones. Whence,-I doubt-not- but, in
the ufe of fmall arms, they were more than a match for double
their number, who had not been habituated to the (ame kind of-
exercife. But to return :
It was the laft of May, N . S. as hath been already faid, when
the Centurion arrived off Cape Efpiritu Santo; and confequently the
next day the month began in which the galeons were to be expedited.
The Commodore therefore made all neceffary preparations
for receiving them, hoifting out his long boat, and ladling her
along fide, that the (hip might be ready for engaging, if they fell
in with the galeons during the night. All this time too he was
very, felicitous to keep at fuch a diftance from the Cape, as not to
be difcovered. But it hath been fince learnt, that notwithftand-
ing his care, he was feen from the land ; and advice of him was
fent to Manila, where, tho’ it was at firft difeelieved, yet, on reiterated
intelligence (for it feems he was feen more than once) the
Merchants were alarmed, and the Governor was applied to, who
undertook (the commerce fupplying the neceffary fums) to fit out a
force