420 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



of the enemy would be by this means cut off, and that the 

 Spanish would be reduced to the necessity of suing for peace, 

 deprived as they would be of the returns of that treasure by 

 which alone they could be enabled to support the drains of a 

 foreign war. A fleet of six vessels, manned by fourteen hundred 

 men and accompanied by two victualling-ships, was placed under 

 the command of George Anson, a captain in the naval service. 

 The flag-ship was the Centurion, mounting sixty guns and 

 carrying four hundred men. On their way out from Spithead, 

 on the 18th of September, 1740, the fleet was joined by an 

 immense convoy of trading ships, which were to keep them 

 company a portion of the way, — numbering in all eleven men-of- 

 war and one hundred and fifty sail of merchantmen. 



The squadron passed through Lemaire's Strait on the 7th 

 of March, 1741. "We could not help persuading ourselves," 

 writes Anson, "that the greatest difficulty of our voyage was 

 now at an end, and that our most sanguine dreams were upon 

 the point of being realized; and hence we indulged our imagi- 

 nations in those romantic schemes which the fancied possession 

 of the Chilian gold and Peruvian silver might be conceived 

 to inspire. Thus animated by these flattering delusions, we 

 passed those memorable straits, ignorant of the dreadful calami- 

 ties which were then impending and just ready to break upon 

 us, — ignorant that the time drew near when the squadron would 

 be separated never to unite again, and that this day of our 

 passage was the last cheerful day that the greater part of us 

 would ever live to enjoy." 



The sternmost ships were no sooner clear of the Strait, than 

 the tranquillity of the sky was suddenly disturbed, and all thh 

 presages of a threatening storm appeared in the heavens and 

 upon the waters. The winds were let loose upon the unfortu- 

 nate fleet, and for three long months blew upon them with 

 unrelenting fury. The Severn and Pearl parted company and 

 were never seen again. During the month of April, forty-three 



