Anson's Voyage Round the World: The Text ReducedWalter, Richard
History
Anson's Voyage Round the World: The Text Reduced
Walter, Richard
Anson, George Anson, Baron, 1697-1762; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
By the 5th of November, at three in the afternoon, we were advanced
within view of the high land of Barranca, and an hour and a half
afterwards we had the satisfaction we had so long wished for, of seeing a
sail. She first appeared to leeward, and we all immediately gave her
chase; but the Centurion so much out sailed the two prizes that we soon
ran them out of sight, and gained considerably on the chase. However,
night coming on before we came up to her, we about seven o'clock lost
sight of her, and were in some perplexity what course to steer; but at
last Mr. Anson resolved, as we were then before the wind, to keep all his
sails set and not to change his course. For though we had no doubt but
the chase would alter her course in the night, yet, as it was uncertain
what tack she would go upon, it was thought more prudent to keep on our
course, as we must by this means unavoidably near her, than to change it
on conjecture, when, if we should mistake, we must infallibly lose her.
Thus, then, we continued the chase about an hour and a half in the dark,
someone or other on board us constantly imagining they discerned her
sails right ahead of us; but at last Mr. Brett, then our second
lieutenant, did really discover her about four points on the
larboard-bow, steering off to the seaward. We immediately clapped the
helm a-weather and stood for her, and in less than an hour came up with
her, and having fired fourteen shots at her, she struck. Our third
lieutenant, Mr. Dennis, was sent in the boat with sixteen men to take
possession of the prize and to return the prisoners to our ship. This
ship was named the "Santa Teresa de Jesus", built at Guayaquil, of about
three hundred tons burthen, and was commanded by Bartolome Urrunaga, a
Biscayer. She was bound from Guayaquil to Callao; her loading consisted
of timber, cacao, cocoa-nuts, tobacco, hides, Pito thread (which is very
strong and is made of a species of grass) Quito cloth, wax, etc. The
specie on board her was inconsiderable, being principally small silver
money and not amounting to more than 170 pounds sterling. It is true her
cargo was of great value, could we have disposed of it, but the Spaniards
having strict orders never to ransom their ships, all the goods that we
took in these seas, except what little we had occasion for ourselves,
were of no advantage to us. Indeed, though we could make no profit
thereby ourselves, it was some satisfaction to us to consider that it was
so much really lost to the enemy, and that the despoiling them was no
contemptible branch of that service in which we were now employed by our
country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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