Being come to an anchor in this bay of St. Julian, principally with a view of refitting the _Tryal_, the carpenters were immediately employed in that business, and continued so during our whole stay at the place. The _Tryal's_ main-mast having been carried away about twelve feet below the cap, they contrived to make the remaining part of the mast serve again; and the _Wager_ was ordered to supply her with a spare main top-mast, which the carpenters converted into a new fore-mast. And I cannot help observing that this accident to the _Tryal's_ mast, which gave us so much uneasiness at that time, on account of the delay it occasioned, was, in all probability, the means of preserving the sloop, and all her crew. For before this, her masts, how well soever proportioned to a better climate, were much too lofty for these {66} high southern latitudes, so that had they weathered the preceding storm, it would have been impossible for them to have stood against those seas and tempests we afterwards encountered in passing round Cape Horn, and the loss of masts in that boisterous climate would scarcely have been attended with less than the loss of the vessel and of every man on board her, since it would have been impracticable for the other ships to have given them any relief during the continuance of those impetuous storms. Whilst we stayed at this place, the commodore appointed the Honourable Captain Murray to succeed to the _Pearl_, and Captain Cheap to the _Wager_, and he promoted Mr. Charles Saunders, his first lieutenant, to the command of the _Tryal_ sloop. But Captain Saunders lying dangerously ill of a fever on board the _Centurion_, and it being the opinion of the surgeons that the removing him on board his own ship in his present condition might tend to the hazard of his life, Mr. Anson gave an order to Mr. Saumarez, first lieutenant of the _Centurion_, to act as master and commander of the _Tryal_ during the illness of Captain Saunders. Here the commodore, too, in order to ease the expedition of all unnecessary expence, held a farther consultation with his captains about unloading and discharging the _Anna_ pink; but they represented to him that they were so far from being in a condition of taking any part of her loading on board, that they had still great quantities of provisions in the way of their guns between decks, and that their ships were withal so very deep that they were not fit for action without being cleared. This put the commodore under a necessity of retaining the pink in the service; and as it was apprehended we should certainly meet with the Spanish squadron in passing the Cape, Mr. Anson thought it adviseable to give orders to the captains to put all their provisions which were in the way of their guns on board the _Anna_ pink, and to remount such of their guns as had formerly, for the ease of their ships, been ordered into the hold.