fhould put to fea again, left we might there find proofs of his perfidious
behaviour, and perhaps-at the fame time difcover the fecret
of his fmuggling correfpondtnce with his neighbouring Governors,
and the Spaniards at Buenos Ayres, But to proceed.
It was near a month before the Tryal was refitted ; for not only
her lower mafts were defective, as hath been already mentioned,
but her main top-maft and fore-yard were likewife decayed and rotten.
While this work was carrying on, the other fhips of the fqua-
dron fixed new Handing rigging, and fet up a fufficient numb.er of
p reventer-fhrouds to each maft, to fecure them in the moft effect
tual manner. And in order to render the fhips ftiffer, and to enable
them to carry more fail abroad, and to prevent their ft raining
their upper works in hard gales of wind, each Captain had orders
given him to ftrike down fome of their great guns into the hold.
Thefe precautions being complied with, and each fhip having taken
in as much wood and water as there was room for, the Tryal was
at laft compleated, and the whole fquadron was ready for.the fea:
on which the tents onfhore were ftruck, and all the fick were received
on board. And here we had a melancholy proof how much
the healthinefs of this place had been oyer-rated by former writers;,
for we found, that though the Centurion alone had buried no lefs.
than twenty-eight men fince our arrival, yet the number of her
fick was in the fame interval increafed from eighty to ninety-fix.
When our crews were embarked, and every thing was prepared
for our departure, the Commodore made a fignal for all Captains,
and delivered them their orders, containing the foccefllve places
o f rendezvous from hence to the coaft of Chili, And then, on the
next day, being the 18th of January, the fignal was made for
weighing, and the fquadron put to fea, leaving without regret this
Ifland of St. Catherine's-, where we had been fo extremely difap-
pointed in our refrelhments, in our accommodations, and in the
humane and friendly offices which we had been taught to expert
in a place, which hath beenfo much celebrated for its hofpitality,
freedom, and conveniency.
C H A P .
R O U N D T H E WO R L D . 57
C H A P . VI.
The run from St. Catherine s to Port St. Julian, with
fome account of that port, and of the country to
the fouthward of the river of Plate.
IN leaving St. Catherine's, we left the laft amicable port we pro-
pofed to touch a t; and were now proceeding to an hoftile, or
at beft a defart and inhofpitable, coaft. And as we were to
exped a more boifterous climate to the fouthward than any we
had yet experienced, not only our danger of feparation would by
this means be much greater than it had been hitherto, but other
accidents of a more mifchievous nature were likewife to be apprehended,
and as much as poffible to be provided againft. Mr. Anton,
therefore, in appointing the various ftations at which the fhips
o f the fquadron were to rendezvous, had confidered, that it was
poffible his own fhip might be difabled from getting round Cape
Horn, or might be loft; and had given proper directions, that,
even in that cafe, the expedition fhould not be abandoned : for the
orders delivered to the Captains, the day before we failed'from St.
Catherine's, were, that in cafe o f feparation, which they were with
the utmdft care to endeavour to avoid, the firft place o f rendezvous
fhould be the bay of Port St. Julian ; defcribing the place from
Sir John Narborougb's account of it. There they were to fupply
themfelves with as much fait as they could take in, both for their
own ufe, and for the ufe of the fquadron ; and if, after a flay of
ten days, they were not joined by the Commodore, they were then
to proceed through Streights Le Maire, round Cape Horn, into
the South-Seas, where the next place of rendezvous was to be the
Ifland of Nojlra Senora del Socoro, in the latitude of 45 South,
and longitude from the Lizard 71“ : 1 2 'Weft. They were to bring
this Ifland to bear E. N. E, and to cruize from five to twelve leagues
I diftance