The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-17

were capable of duty. 1t is a popularity
of scuryy that 1t is accompanied with
great depression of spirits and total loss
of courage, so that anything that &C.
curred to alarm the infected crew usually
killed those who were In the last stages
of the disease.
II was under these conditions that the
Centurion on the Sth of May sighted the
island of Socora, on the Gillian coast,
the first rendezvous appointed in case OF
separation of the squadron. After cruls-
ing off this island, upon Whlch no land
ing could be made, and none OF Inc SHIPS
appearing, the Centurion bore away Tor
the island Ct Juan Fernandez, the second
designated place Of Iueeting. After
months sail with crazy ship, great
scarcity of water, and crew so univer-
sally diseased that from four to six died
every day, Juan Fernandez was sighted.
1t was several days, however, by reason
of head winds and Gains, before land
ing could be effected; the alf-tamished
and suffering crew the meanwhile driven
to madness by the sight OF green valleys
and cascades of water pouring from Its
hills.
The day after coming to an anchor the
sloop-of.war Trial. one Of the missing
vessels of The squadron. arrived. She
had not been exempted from the caiaml-
ties that befell the Centurion. Out OF a
crew of 100 men, IS had died OF scuryy,
and of the remainder only four OF five
Trial inspired Commodore Anson with
the hope that he would speedily be re-
Joined by the balance of the missing YES
sells. In effect, ON the Dist of June, the
Gloucester was sighted; but it was not
until the 23d of July that she came to an
chor alongside the other ships. Her loss
es through scurvy were even greater
hoe IF ha Of for nf her
of 300 men, 1926 were dead. OF the other
three vessels, the Wager, sloop. of-war,
was wrecked on the coast of Chill. The
survivors of her crew to the number OF
about 100, fitted out the long boat, and
In this crazy craft made their way
through the Straits of Magellan to the
coast of Brazil where, with the excep-
ton of 30 of their number who had per-
ished, they found passage to Europe in o
French vessel. The Severn and Pearl
were so badly shattered in the storm that
separated The squadron that they turned
back and ultimately reached England
with loss of two-thirds of their men.
After three months stay on the Island
of Juan Fernandez for the refreshment
Of his crews and the refitting of his
ships, Arson set sail for the coast OF
Chill to attempt the capture of the town
of Paita. En- route he took six valuable
prizes, but lost the sloop- of-war Trial,
which proved SO unseaworthy that she
was scuttled and her men and guns
transferred to the captured vessels. Paita
was taken without the loss of a man, and
along with it 81 100000 worth of silver
and valuable merchandise From here,
after scuttling his prizes, Anson ranged
along the northern coast OF South Amer1-
ca, with the intention of appearing OH
Acapulco, Mexico, in time to intercept
the great Manila galleon, which, how
ever, reached that port before his arrival.
In May, 1742, the Centurion and
coast of China. Soon after leaving the
Mexican shore the scurvy broke out with
increased violence, on both ships. With
in 300 leagues of the Ladrone Islands a
severe gale was encountered IN which
both vessels sprang aleak. The Glouces-
ter, greatly crippled through the number
of men she had lost by disease, could not
be kept afioat; in consequence she was
abandoned, and her officers and crew
transferred to the Centurion, which, after
many perils came to anchor in the road
stead of Macao on November 10, I742.
Even with the accession OF the survivors
of the crews of the Trial and Gloucester.
not above 300 officers and men remained
alive on the Centurion. After re1ttlng at
Cape Espiritu Santo, where she lay In
wait for the Manila galleon on its return
VOYAGE from Acapulco. Finally, on the
Goth Of June. 1743, the long.wished- for
CART hove in sight. After brief engage
nlent it surrendered, with at least
81 soc, 900 Of treasure. With the prize An
son made sail for Canton, whence, after
refitting, he departed for England, where
he safely arrived a year later. Of the
] $50 officers, sailors and marines that
had embarked in the English ships, more
than a thousand had persisted through
disease ano the perils of the sea, while of
the squadron, the Centurion alone accom-
plished the voyage around the world,
which lasted four years.