62 THE SEA. 



ship was on fire near the powder-room. The commodore showed no emotion, and gave 

 orders to a few in regard to extinguishing it, which was happily done, without alarming 

 the crew or informing the enemy. The galleon was constituted by Anson a post-ship in 

 his Majesty's navy, the command being given to his first lieutenant, Mr. Saumarez. All 

 but the officers and wounded of the prisoners were kept in the hold of the Centurion, two 

 guarded hatchways being left open. As the Spaniards were two to one of the English, 

 every precaution was necessary, but otherwise they were treated as well as possible. 

 Unfortunately their allowance of water was necessarily small, one pint per day, the crew 

 only receiving a pint and a half; and although not one died on the passage to the river 

 of Canton, they were reduced to ghastly skeletons when they were discharged. Anson 

 refitted and sold the galleon to the merchants of Macao, and, with about 400,000 worth 

 of Spanish treasure, sailed for England, where he arrived in safety. The damage done by 

 him to Spain was probably three or four times that represented by the above amount. 

 The great galleon was alone, with her cargo, valued at a million and a half dollars; whilst 

 the destruction of Paita, and the minor Spanish prizes, with large parts of their cargoes, 

 were serious losses to Spain. 



CHAPTER IV. 



THE HISTORY OF SHIPS AND SHIPPING INTERESTS (continued). 



Progress of the American Colonies Great Prevalence of Piracy Numerous Captures and Executions A Proclamation 

 of Pardon John Theach, or " Black Beard "A Desperate Pirate Hand-and-glove with the Governor of North 

 Carolina Pretends to accept the King's Pardon A Blind His Defeat and Death Unwise Legislation and 

 consequent Irritation The Stamp Act The Tea Tax Enormous Excitement Tea-chests thrown into Boston 

 Harbour Determined Attitude of the American Colonists The Boston Port Bill Its Effects Sympathy of all 

 America The final Rupture England's Wars to the end of the Century Nelson and the Nile Battle of 

 Copenhagen. 



DURING the early part of the eighteenth century, while Europe was distracted by war, 

 the American colonies were, " by peaceful and undisturbed pursuits, laying the foundation 

 of that prosperity which enabled them, before the close of the century, to demand and 

 obtain their severance from the mother country, and their social and political independence/' 

 So early as 1729, Philadelphia had 6,000 tons of shipping, and received in that year 6,208 

 emigrants from Great Britain. New York was then carrying on a large trade in grain 

 and provisions with Spain and Portugal, besides forwarding considerable quantities of furs 

 to England. New England was furnishing the finest spars and masts in the world, 

 while that part of it which is now the State of Massachusetts had already 120,000 

 inhabitants, employing 40,000 tons of shipping, or about 600 vessels of all sizes. The 

 fisheries were of great value, as much as a quarter of a million quintals of dried fish 

 being annually exported to Spain, Portugal, and the Mediterranean. Carolina was doing 

 a magnificent business in the export of rice, Indian corn, and provisions of all kinds ; in. 

 pitch, turpentine, and lumber. 



