434 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



men, who thus, after reiterated disappointments, saw their wishes 

 at last accomplished. 



The specie was at once removed to the Centurion, the Caba- 

 donga being appointed by Anson to be a post-ship in his ma- 

 jesty's service, and the command being given to Mr. Saumarcz, 

 the first lieutenant of the Centurion. The two vessels then 

 stood for the Canton River, and arrived off Macao on the 11th 

 of July. On the way, Anson reckoned up not only the value 

 of the prize just captured, but the total amount of the losses 

 his expedition had caused the crown of Spain since it left the 

 English shores. The galleon was found to have on board one 

 million three hundred and thirteen thousand eight hundred and 

 forty-three dollars, and thirty-five thousand six hundred and 

 eighty-two ounces of virgin silver, besides cochineal and other 

 commodities. This, added to the other treasure taken in pre- 

 vious prizes, made the sum total of Anson's captures in money 

 not far from two millions, — independent of the ships and mer- 

 chandise which he had either burned or destroyed, and which he 

 set down as three millions more ; to which he added the expense 

 of an expedition fitted out by the court of Spain, under one 

 Joseph Pizarro, for his annoyance, and which, he learned from 

 the galleon's papers, had been entirely broken up.and destroyed. 

 "The total of all these articles," he writes, "will be a most 

 exorbitant sum, and is the strongest proof of the utility of my 

 expedition, which, with all its numerous disadvantages, did yet 

 prove so extremely prejudicial to the enemy." 



At Macao, Anson sold the galleon for six thousand dollars, 

 which was much less than her value. He was very anxious to 

 get to sea at once, that he might be himself the first messenger 

 of his good fortune and thereby prevent the enemy from forming 

 any projects to intercept him. The Centurion weighed anchor 

 from Macao on the 15th of December, 1743: she touched at 

 the Cape of Good Hope on the 11th of March, 1744, where the 

 commodore sojourned a fortnight, in a spot which he considered 



