5^4 The VOYAGES of Book 
or not ; but they were unable to refolve the Queftion. The 
three next Days, they had moderate Gales, and thick, foggy 
Weather. 
38. On June 10. the Weather was dark and cloudy* ; 
and, on the 1 ith in the Morning, they difcovered a Sail u> 
Windward, fired a Gun, and brought her to. The Com- 
modore then ordered his Cutter to be hoilted out, and fent 
Ms Third Lieutenant in her, to learn News : She proved 
to be a Ship bound from Rotterdam to Philadelphia , with 
200 Palatines on board, who were going to fettle in Pen- 
fylvania. They informed the Lieutenant, that there was a 
French War ; and that the British Chanel fwarmed with 
Men of War and Privateers, both EngliJIo and French .. 
At Nine they bent their Cables, hoifted the Launch over 
the Side, and lafhed her there. 
On the 1 2th, they had moderate and cloudy Weather : 
About one in the Afternoon, they faw three Sail to the 
E. N. E. diftant about five Leagues ; upon which they 
made a clear Ship, and ordered every Man and Boy to his 
Station *, and then gave Chace. They came up with two of 
them about Three in the Afternoon ; thefe Veftels came 
from Dublin : They continued to chafe the Third, but they 
tacked, and flood to the North ; and the Commodore, 
finding that he could not come up with her, gave over the 
Chafe. 
At four the next Morning they founded, and had fifty- 
three Fathom Water ; at Noon they had Sight of the Li- 
zard, bearing North half Weft, , at the Diftance of eight 
Leagues. About one of the Clock, they faw two Sail, di- 
ftant about three Leagues, and gave Chace, and came up 
with them about Three, when they proved to be the Sala- 
mander Privateer, and a Martinico Ship, flie had taken in 
Tow. They confirmed the Intelligence they had received 
of a French War. In the Evening, the Lizard bore N. W. 
and the Start N. E. by E. 
On the 14th, in the Morning, they faw the Eland of 
Portland bearing N.. E. by E. and in the Evening they had' 
Sight of the Ijle of Wight : On the 15th, about half an 
Flour after eleven o’clock, they came to, and anchored 
with their beft Bower, in ten Fathom Water, in London- 
Bay : About Four the next Morning they weighed, and 
made Sail, and at Ten arrived at St. Helen’s *, the Crew 
being not a little rejoiced at the Sight of their native Coun- 
try, after they had been abfent from it near four Years ; in 
which they had experienced every Kind of Hardfliip, to. 
which the Lite of a Seaman is expofed, and having run 
thro’ a furprifing Variety of Dangers to the laft : For it is 
to be remembered,, that they arrived at a Juncture when 
Things were in the greateft Confufion, and when the 
French had the beft Part of their Naval Force at Sea, and 
even cruifing upon our Coafts. The Commodore imme- 
diately wrote to his Grace the Duke of Newcafile , his Ma- 
jefty’s Principal Secretary of State, to acquaint him with his 
Arrival, and with the moft material Occurrences, from the 
Time of his former Difpatch by Captain Saunders \ which 
Letter, or at leaf! an Extraft from it, was publiflied in the 
London Gazette , and occafioned as great and general Joy 
throughout the Nation, as can well be imagined : And, in 
order farther to indulge the Pleafure of the People, the 
Treafure taken in the Acapulco Ship was carried in the 
moft public Manner through the Streets, in thirty-two 
Waggons, to the T ower, in the fame Manner as the Silver 
formerly taken by Admiral Blake , when he burnt the Spa- 
nijh Galleons, had been ■, I mu ft confefs, in my Judgment, 
with much better Reafon. 
39. As I opened this Section with a Piece of ancient 
Fliftory, I fhall open thefe Remarks with obferving, that, 
notwithftanding this Expedition was not attended with fo 
Great Succefs in the South Seas as was expedited, yet the 
Nation -in general is very far from believing, that it ought 
to deter us from the Thoughts of fuch Expeditions for the 
future ; fince it appears plainly, that, if the Commodore’s 
whole Squadron had got round with him into the South 
geas , he would have been able to have performed much 
oreater Things than any of our Commanders have hitherto 
done in thofe Parts. Neither is it at all clear, that the Spa- 
niards are in a better Condition, their Coafts better forti- 
fied, their Garifons more numerous, or the Country in any 
refpeft better provided, than when our Privateers had for- 
2 
merlyfo great Succefs there. The Sacking of Ptiyta proves- 
the contrary, fince it was actually in a worfe Condition, 
when taken laft, than when Captain Shehocke took it, and 
lefs capable of making any Refiftance. 
If this . Expedition had never taken place, we might 
have been told, that it was imprabticabie j that the Spani- 
ards were grown wifer ; that all their Ports, were well forti- 
fied ^ and that to attempt any thing would be only faeri- 
ficing the Lives of fuch as were employed in the Expedi- 
tion. But we now know the contrary *, that the Spaniards 
are actually as unguarded, and as little apprehenfive as 
ever ; and, perhaps, the Fate of this Undertaking may 
have made them lefs fo •, fo that if a new Project of the 
feme Kind was to be put in Execution, either at public or 
private Expence, there feems to be a moral Certainty, that 
it would fucceed. 
The Scheme which Commodore Anfon was fent to exe- 
cute, was certainly well laid ; and if the two Ships that 
repafled the Streights of Le Maire , and thereby expofed 
themfelves to greater Dangers, than they could have met 
with by continuing their Voyage, had either proceeded 
with the Commodore, or had followed him to the If and 
of Juan Fernandez, he would have had Men enough to have 
undertaken fomewhat of Confequence either in Chili or Peru r 
fince he would have had 900 or 1000 Men under his 
Command : Or, if even the Wager had joined him, he 
muft have had Men fufficient for the Centurion and Glou- 
cejler •, and, confequently, would have been in a better 
Condition than the Duke and Duchefs were, who gained 
fuch immenfe Wealth in thefe Seas. But that he was 
joined by none of his Squadron at the Place of Rendefvoir^ 
except the Gloucefier and the Frial Sloop, is a Thing that 
never happened before and will, very probably, never 
happen again. 
As to their Hardfhips in this Paflage, we ought not to 
confider them as Reafons fufficient to deter us from making 
any Attempt on that Side again ; becaufe, in the firft 
Place, they may be eafily guarded againft, by going at a 
better Seafon of the Year, with fewer Incumbrances, and 
touching at proper Places by the Way : And, in the next 
Place, we ought to confider, that the French have fent 
Ships thither, by Leave from the Court of Spain , fince ; 
and, beyond Queftion, we are as able Navigators as the , 
French : Befides, if we fuffer ourfelvesto be difcouragedby 
the Accidents that befel this Squadron, we (hall abfolutely 
lofe the Knowledge and Prablice of this Navigation, and 
Difpair of ever fending a Ship into the South Seas again j 
for, if we fend no Ships in the time of War, there are 
many Reafons, and, which is more perfuafive than any 
Reafon, there is Experience, to induce our Belief, that we 
fball never fend any Ships at all and, confequently, there 
is an End of all Hopes, either of Conquefts, or of Dif- 
coveries, on this Side ; that is, on the Side, where either, 
or where both, might be made, with greateft Advantage 
to this Nation. 
Yet the Reafons that formerly made fuch Undertakings 
expedient, ftill fubfift in their full force : Th e Spaniards 
derive that Wealth, which makes them, and their Allies, 
fo formidable in Europe , from hence. It is as muon in 
our Power, as it ever was, to diftrefs them here •, and the 
Spirit of availing ourfelves, by diftreffing our Enemies in 
this way, was never ftronger than it is now. There is 
another Argument that ought to prevail with us to pro- 
fecute Expeditions of this Kind, derived from the Succefs 
the Commodore met with in his laft Cruize. II we under- 
take any Defign in another Part of the World, and fail in 
it, there is an End, and we muft abfolutely fit down with 
the Lofs •, but here, if we fail in one Place, . v/e may fuc- 
ceed in another, and one rich Prize will indemnity the 
Public, at leaft for their Expences ; for a Million brougnt 
home in Silver, will at any time compenfate the Nation for 
the Lofs of two or three Ships •, becaufe the Expence or 
rebuilding them, or at leaft the greateft Part of it, goes en- 
tirely amongft ourfelves. A t all Events, it is better to hazai d 
our Ships, nay, and our Men too, where fomething is to 
be got, than where nothing is to be had. Gur Men nave 
been deftroyed, and our Ships worn out,_ in Services where 
not a Shilling ever refulted to the Public. But the fame 
cannot be faid of this. It has actually brought a very large 
