Ansons Voyage Round the World | Page 5

about 470 invalids and marines, under the denomination
of land forces, which were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel
Cracherode.
The winds were so contrary that we had the mortification to be forty
days in our passage from St. Helens to the island of Madeira, though it
is known to be often done in ten or twelve. However, at last, on
Monday, October the 25th, at five in the morning, we, to our great joy,
made the land, and in the afternoon came to an anchor in Madeira
Road.
We continued about a week at this island, watering our ships and

providing the squadron with wine and other refreshments.
When Mr. Anson visited the Governor of Madeira* he received
information from him that for three or four days in the latter end of
October there had appeared, to the westward of that island, seven or
eight ships of the line. The Governor assured the Commodore, upon his
honour, that none upon the island had either given them intelligence or
had in any sort communicated with them, but that he believed them to
be either French or Spanish, but was rather inclined to think them
Spanish. On this intelligence Mr. Anson sent an officer in a clean sloop
eight leagues to the westward to reconnoitre them, and, if possible, to
discover what they were. But the officer returned without being able to
get a sight of them, so that we still remained in uncertainty. However,
we could not but conjecture that this fleet was intended to put a stop to
our expedition. Afterwards, in the course of our expedition, we were
many of us persuaded that this was the Spanish squadron commanded
by Don Joseph Pizarro, which was sent out purposely to traverse the
views and enterprises of our squadron, to which in strength they were
greatly superior.
(*Note. Madeira then as now belonged to Portugal--a neutral power at
that time usually jealous of Spain.)
CHAPTER 2.
SPANISH PREPARATIONS--FATE OF PIZARRO'S SQUADRON.
DON JOSEPH PIZARRO.
When the squadron fitted out by the Court of Spain to attend our
motions had cruised for some days to the leeward of Madeira they left
that station in the beginning of November and steered for the River of
Plate, where they arrived the 5th of January, Old Style,* and coming to
an anchor in the bay of Maldonado at the mouth of that river their
admiral, Pizarro, sent immediately to Buenos Ayres for a supply of
provisions for they had departed from Spain with only four months'
provisions on board. While they lay here expecting this supply they
received intelligence by the treachery of the Portuguese Governor of St.

Catherine's, of Mr. Anson's having arrived at that island on the 21st of
December preceding, and of his preparing to put to sea again with the
utmost expedition. Pizarro, notwithstanding his superior force, had his
reasons (and as some say, his orders likewise) for avoiding our
squadron anywhere short of the South Seas. He was besides extremely
desirous of getting round Cape Horn before us, as he imagined that step
alone would effectually baffle all our designs, and therefore, on hearing
that we were in his neighbourhood** and that we should soon be ready
to proceed for Cape Horn he weighed anchor*** after a stay of
seventeen days only and got under sail without his provisions, which
arrived at Maldonado within a day or two after his departure. But
notwithstanding the precipitation with which he departed we put to sea
from St. Catherine's four days before him and in some part of our
passage to Cape Horn the two squadrons were so near together that the
Pearl, one of our ships, being separated from the rest, fell in with the
Spanish fleet, and mistaking the Asia for the Centurion had got within
gunshot of Pizarro before she discovered her error, and narrowly
escaped being taken.
(*Note. The calendar as regulated by Julius Caesar in 46 BC assumed
the length of the solar year to be exactly 365 1/2 days, whereas it is
eleven minutes and a few with seconds less. By 1582 the error had
become considerable for the calendar was ten days behind the sun.
Pope Gregory XIII therefore ordained that ten days in that year should
be dropped and October 5th reckoned as October 15th. In order to
avoid error in the future it was settled that three of the leap years that
occur in 400 years should be considered common years. So 1600 was
and 2000 will be a leap year but 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not. The
New Style (NS.) was adopted by Catholic countries. Protestant
countries as a rule rejected it and adhered to the old Style (OS.). The
result was a considerable confusion in dates as will be plain in the
course of the