A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD, IN THE YEARS 1740, 41, 42, 43, 44. BY GEORGE ANSON, Esq. Commander-in-Chief of a Squadron of His Majesty's Ships, sent upon an Expedition to INGRAM, COOKE, AND CO. 227, STRAND. A BOD VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD, IN THE YEARS 1740, 41, 42, 43, 44; BY GEORGE ANSON ESQ. COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF A SQUADRON OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS, SENT UPON AN EXPEDITION TO THE SOUTH SEAS. COMPILED FROM PAPERS AND OTHER MATERIALS OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE GEORGE LORD ANSON, AND PUBLISHED UNDER HIS DIRECTION. BY RICHARD WALTER, M.A. CHAPLAIN OF HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP THE CENTURION, IN THAT EXPEDITION. TO WHICH ARE PREFIXED, A MEMOIR OF LORD ANSON, AND PREFACE. VOL. I. 1 B MEMOIR OF LORD ANSON. GEORGE, the youngest son of William Anson, Esq., of Shugborough, Staffordshire, was born in the parish of Colwich, in that county, on the 23rd of April, 1697. His grandfather, William Anson, was an eminent barrister in the reign of James the First, and having realised a handsome fortune, purchased the estate and manor of Shugborough. The subject of this memoir is reported to have evinced an early predilection for a sea life, his attention being greatly taken with the narratives of voyagers; and in January, 1712, he entered the navy on board the Ruby, under the command of Captain Peter Chamberlain, whom he accompanied into the Monmouth, and subsequently the Hampshire frigate, in which last ship he was made acting Lieutenant, about 1716, by Sir John Norris, then commanding the North Sea fleet. Very little is known or recorded respecting the early career of this celebrated officer. In 1717 he appears to have been a Lieutenant on board the Montague, in the action between the British Fleet, under Sir George Byng, and the Spanish Fleet, under Don Antonio Castanita, when the latter were defeated with great loss. From the Montague, Mr. Anson was promoted to the rank of Master and Commander, 19th June, 1722, and appointed to the Weazle sloop of war. In this vessel he maintained the character of an active officer, performing good service in the North Sea, and on the ist of February following, he was made Post Captain, and appointed to command the Scarborough frigate. He shortly afterwards proceeded to the Coast of America, for the protection of the infant colonies, then threatened, in consequence of a rupture with Spain. He appears to have executed this service greatly to the satisfaction of the colonists as well as the government at home, and received some flattering and valuable testimonials from the planters of South Carolina. His presence on that station deterred the Spaniards from their meditated aggression, and the captain of the Garland frigate dying, Captain Anson removed into that ship, sending the Scarborough home; but it was not until 1730, some time after peace was concluded, that he received orders to return to England. He next commanded the Diadem and subsequently the Squirrel, upon the home station, until 1734, when he was again ordered to visit the Coast of America for the purpose of ascertaining the truth of some reported aggressions committed by the Spaniards upon the British Settlements. Finding these rumours and apprehensions groundless, he returned home, paid off the Squirrel, and now, for the first time since he entered on his arduous profession, passed upwards of two years on shore. During the peace, continual complaints were made respecting the depredations committed by the Spanish Guarda Costas on English vessels trading to the eastern ports of America and the Spanish main. At length the grievance attained such a height, that a committee of the House of Commons was appointed to examine witnesses; and having, amongst other complainants, summoned one Jenkins, master of the Rebecca, of Glasgow, he averred, that not only had his vessel been plundered, and his crew maltreated by the Spaniards; but that one of his ears had been cut off, placed in his hand, and he was insolently desired to carry it to his king; informing him, that if they had him there, he should be treated in like manner. When asked, "What were his feelings under this treatment?" he replied, "I recommended my soul to God, and my cause to my country." The indignation of Parliament and the country was aroused at the recital of this brutal and audacious outrage, and public clamour rose to such a height in consequence, that, coupled with some breaches of a convention on the part of Spain, the King of England was induced to declare war against that country, on the 10th of October, 1739, amidst the general acclamation of the people. At this period Captain Anson was in command of the Centurion, upon the Coast of Africa, and the government, having determined upon attacking the Spanish settlements, recalled him in order to take command of one of the contemplated expeditions. The narrative of this celebrated voyage includes the whole account of his proceedings until his return tc England, when we resume the thread of the biography. Commodore Anson does not appear to have been received by the Lords of the Admiralty with the cordiality he anticipated after his perilous adventure, although the whole nation was loud in his praise. The Board disregarded his application for Mr. Brett his first lieutenant's promotion, and this induced him to refuse his own commission of Rear-admiral, when a flag promotion was made in 1744. In December of that year, a change took place in the government; Lord Winchilsea retired from the Admiralty, and was succeeded by the Duke of Bedford, who immediately selected Anson as one of his board; and on the 20th of April, 1745, he received two steps of promotion at once, being advanced to Rear-admiral of the White, passing over the intervening step of the Blue. He had previously been returned to Parliament for the borough of Hendon, and from that time to his death he sat at the Board of Admiralty, with trifling intervals, occasionally hoisting his flag; and he successively attained to the highest honours of his profession. In 1747 he took command of the squadron, cruising off Cape Finisterre, and defeated Monsieur de la Jonquire, capturing six of his ships and a valuable convoy. For this exploit he was advanced to the peerage on the 13th June, 1747, by the title of Lord Anson, Baron of Soberston, in Hants. He assumed the appropriate motto of "Nil desperandum." The treasure found in the captured ships amounted to £300,000. It was landed at Plymouth, and being conveyed to London in waggons, was paraded through the streets to the Bank in grand military procession, amidst the acclamations of the inhabitants. In the evening the City was illuminated. The treasure taken by Anson from the Spaniards in the South Seas has been computed at £751,000, including that found in the Acapulco ship. |