The _Anna Pink_ was now broken up and her stores transferred to the _Centurion_, which stood in great need of them, as it had been with much difficulty that a fresh suit of sails had been made out of the canvas remaining on board; it had been even necessary to unlay a cable to obtain sufficient ropes for her rigging. It was now computed that of the nine hundred and sixty-one men who had left England in the _Centurion_, _Gloucester_, and _Trial_, six hundred and twenty-six were dead, three hundred and thirty-five thus alone remaining to man the three ships. Brave as Anson was, he could not but dread lest he should, with his diminished crews, fall in with Don Pizarro's squadron, not aware at the time of its fate, which had been even worse than his own. A vessel being seen in the north-east, which, having got near the island, steered away towards the coast, it was concluded that she was Spanish. On this Anson resolved to give her chase, and his crew, hurrying on board the _Centurion_, bent sails, and by five in the afternoon was under weigh. For three days the chase was continued, when the stranger made her escape. On steering back towards Juan Fernandez, the _Centurion_, however, made out another sail, which at first bore down upon her. Supposing that she was one of Pizarro's squadron, every preparation was made for an engagement. On getting nearer, however, it was discovered that she was a merchantman, and four shots quickly brought her to. She was found to be laden with sugar and blue cloth, with a few other articles. Besides this there were several trunks containing silver, the value of which amounted to seventy thousand pounds. Beside the treasure obtained, Anson had the satisfaction of hearing of the destruction of Pizarro's squadron, and that there was no chance of being molested by any men-of-war. By means of intercepted letters and the information obtained from the prisoners, it was found that several other richly-laden vessels were likely soon to sail from Callao to Valparaiso. To obtain the best chance of capturing them, Anson ordered his ships to cruise separately, the _Gloucester_ being directed to take up her station off Paita, out of sight of land. On the 19th of September the _Centurion_, accompanied by the _Carmelo_, her prize, put to sea. Four days afterwards two ships were seen, one of which, a powerful vessel, stood towards them. The crew of the _Centurion_ went to their quarters, but as the stranger could not escape, they were ordered not to fire. Being hailed in Spanish, an answer came from Mr Hughes, a lieutenant of the _Trial_, who gave them the welcome intelligence that she was a prize to that ship, having been captured after a long chase. She measured six hundred tons, being one of the largest merchantmen employed in those seas, and had on board five thousand pounds sterling. The _Trial_ had, however, sprung all her masts, but, bad weather coming on, no assistance could for some time be rendered her.