PART

I.

On the 10th of Auguft the fquadron failed from Spithead to St Helens, where the commodore was detained chiefly through the want of 1740. pofitive orders for his failing, without joining company with another fleet under Sir Chaloner Ogle, until the 18th of September, when he weighed, and though the wind was unfavourable at first, he tided it down and got clear of the channel in four days; and after parting with the American, Turkey, and Streights convoy, on the 29th, the commodore proceeded on the expedition with his whole fquadron, and arrived at the island of Madera on the 25th of October. The commodore, as well as the crews of the whole fquadron, could not conceal their concern at the dilatory obftructions that prevented them from fetting out at a more feafonable time of the year; this too was increafed by their long paffage to the Maderas, and they began to entertain the melancholly reflections of the extraordinary danger in paffing round Cape Horn in the most tempeftuous season of the year; and were shocked with the apprehenfions of all that difmal train of diftreffes that afterwards happened to them, by the feparation of the fquadron, in those rough and ftormy feas, they were then directing their course to.

THEY Continued about a week at Madera, watering their fhips, and providing the fquadron with wine and other refreshments, but on the 3d of November, Capt. Norris being taken ill, and defiring to return to England for the recovery of his health, the commodore appointed Capt. Mitchel to command the Glouceiler in his room, removed Capt. Kidd to the Pearl, and Capt. Murray to the Wager, giving the command of

the

the Trial floop to Lieutenant Cheap. The next CHAP. day the commodore gave to the captains their IN. orders, " Appointing their rendezvous, in cafe of

66

feparation, at the ifland of St Catherine's, on the 1740. "coaft of Brazil, in South America ;" and the fame day the fquadron weighed anchor from Madera, fteering their courfe for St Catherine's, where they arrived on the 21st of December; having, in their paffage, loft a great number of men, by the heat and intemperature of the warm climates, and many others were confined to their hammocks, in calentures, paft all hopes of recovery, and fome in a very languid and fickly condition, afflicted with fluxes or tenefmus's, attendant on a recovery from the calenture; fo that with great joy they difcovered the coast of Brazil, where they expected refreshment and a recovery of health. Having moored the fhips, their firft care was to get the fick men on fhore to refresh them, the next in wooding and watering the fquadron, cleanfing the fhips, and examining and fecuring the mafts and rigging. The feafon of the year growing each day lefs favourable for their paffage round Cape Horn, the commodore was very defirous of leaving the island, but was detained in fecuring the mafts of the Trial to the 18th of January, when the fquadron, after burying many of their men, and fick nefs ftill increafing, left the ifland, and failed to Port St Julian on the coaft of Patagonia.

FROM the glorious fucceffes of Admiral Vernon, the British nation was convinced, how much time, and how many opportunities, had been loft in oppreffing the Spaniards, and evidently faw what ignominy the nation had fuffered by their former timidity. It is a lafting reproach, on the

conduct

PART conduct of the acting minifters, that no land I. forces were fent with Admiral Vernon, to enable

him to push his conquefts farther by land; and 1740. the house of commons particularly reflected on their backwardness in not fupporting him from time to time with more fhips, and a conftant fupply of fresh ftores, provifions, and other neceffaries. Indeed the British miniftry were prevailed on, with great reluctancy, to profecute the war with vigour; but as they could neither diminish the glory of Admiral Vernon, nor leffen the importance of his enterprizes, both of which they attempted, they thought it most prudent to join in the national acclamations, and to feem as forward as any in the addreffes of congratulation, affuming at the fame time great merit to themfelves, fince the admiral acted, as they said, by their orders; and therefore to avoid any further clamours, they pretended to be as much in earneft as the rest of the nation, and determined to fend the admiral a reinforcement of fhips, and a fufficient number of troops, to enable him, ftill higher, to advance the reputation of the British

arms.

ACCORDINGLY the regiments of Harrison and Wentworth, fix regiments of marines, and fome detachments from other regiments, were ordered to embark for the Weft Indies, under the command of Lord Cathcart; at first fix fhips only were appointed for his convoy, but upon advice that the Ferrol fquadron of twelve men of war had failed for the Weft Indies, and that the Breft and Toulon fquadrons were alfo gone there to fecure the galleons, wherein they were fo much concerned, and alfo to prevent the British forces making any conqueft upon the Spaniards, for which, they faid, they were guaran

tees

tees by the treaty of Utrecht; this occafioned a CHAP. larger convoy for the troops under Lord Cath- IV. cart, fo as to make Admiral Vernon equal to thofe fquadrons. This fleet affembled at Portf 1740. mouth, under the command of Sir Chaloner Ogle, confifting of twenty-one fail of the line, befides frigates and fire-fhips, with about 12,000 failors on board, and the feveral regiments under the command of Lord Cathcart; and after many obftacles, failed the 26th of October.

BUT though the respective deftinations of these fquadrons, under Sir Chaloner Ogle and Commodore Anfon, were not confidently reported in England, it appeared that the Spaniards had received true and early intelligence for what they were intended; and accordingly the Ferrol fquadron, of twelve men of War trom fixty to eighty guns, and three frigates, commanded by Don Rodrigo de Torres, having found an opportunity of efcaping Admiral Haddock, on the 20th of July failed for America, with 2,000 land forces on board, and uninterruptedly proceeded to ftrengthen their fettlements in the West Indies; while the British fleet, by being delayed to fo late a season of the year, fuffered a fhameful detention in their harbours, and were incapable of getting through the channel, till after the Spaniards had put themselves in a condition to make a vigorous refiftance wherever they should be attacked.

By the long delay put to Commodore Anfon's fquadron, the Spanish court had been well advised of its deftination; and purposely to attend their motions, and circumvent the projects of the commodore, the Spaniards fitted out a fquadron, under the command of Don Jofeph Pizarro, compofed of the following fhips:

Ships

THESE fhips were victualled for four months, and besides their complement of failors and marines, had on board an old Spanish regiment of foot, intended to reinforce the garrisons on the coaft of the South Seas; and lay cruizing near Madera for three or four days in the latter end of October, to prevent the expedition under Commodore Anfon; and had they cruized to the eastward, instead of the weftward, of the island, they might have done it with great facility, as they would have certainly fallen in with the British fquadron, and obliged them to throw overboard great quantities of provifions to clear their fhips for an engagement; and this alone, without any regard to the eventual fortune of the action, would have effectually prevented their progrefs: but Pizarro not meeting with the Britifh fquadron, on his cruize to the leeward of the Maderas, left that station in the beginning of November, and fteered for the river of Plate in South America.

CHAP.