Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-18
DEsERET EVENING NEWS. MONDAY, APRIL is, 1898.


crew OF 400 men 200 had died The re-
mninder Were reduced to such state
of helplcssnuss by the disorder that not
above six men In a watch were capable
OF duty. II Is popularity OF scurvy
that 1t Is accompanied with great de-
preston of spirits and total loss of
courage, so that those who were strong
enough OF the effected 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 Chilean
const. the first rendezvous appointed
In case OF separation of the squadron.
After cruising of this island. upon
which no landing could be made. and
none OF the ships appearing the Cen
turlUn bore away for the island of Juan
Fernandez the second designated place
of meeting. After a months sail with
crazy ship, great scarcity ii water.
and crew 80 universally diseased
that from four to six died every day,
Juan Fernandez was sighted. II was
eeveral days, however, by reason of
head winds and Gains, before a land
ing could be affected; the hulf-fam-
ished and suffering crew the meanwhile
driven to madness by the sight OF green
valleys and cascades of water pouring
from the hills.
The day Afier coming to an anchor
the slnop-o f-war Trial ono of the miss
ing vesseln of the squadron, arrived.
She had not been exempted from the
calamitles that befell the Centurion
out of crew Of 100 men, rs had died
of scurvy. and OF the remainder only
four We're ut for duty. The arrival
of the Trial Inspired Commodore Arson
with the hope that he would speedily
be re1olned by the balance Of the miss
ing vessels. In effect, on the 2lst of
lima tho l,1pnpagtqr qinhfals faIlt
II was not until the 23rd of July that
she came to anchor alongside the other
ships. Her losses through scurvy We're
even greater that those of the others.
for, of her crew of 500 men, 22h 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 i'm this crazy
craft made their way through the
Straits of Magellan to the coast of
Brazil, where, with the exception of 20
of their number who had persisted, they
! found passage to Europe in a French
| vessel. Tho Severn and Pearl We're so
| badly shattered by the storm that
separated the squadron that they
| turned back and- ultimately reached
England with a loss of two-thirds of
| their men.
| After n three months stay on the
| island of Juan Fernandez for the re-
| freshment Of his crews and the refit-
| ting Of his ships, Arson set sail for
| the coast of Chile to attempt the cap
| ture of the town OF Paita. Enroute
| 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
I WITHOUT the loss of n man, and along
! with It 900 worth of silver and
| valuable merchandise. From here, ar
| ter scuttling his prizes, Arson ranged
! along the northern coast OF South
America, with the intention of appear
| ing at Acapulco, Mexico, in time to
| intercept the great Manila galleon.
| which however. reached that port be.
| fore his arrival,
| In May, l749, the Centurion and
| Gloucester departed for Macao. on the
| coast OF China. Soon after leaving
| the Mexican shore the scurvy broke
| out, with increased violence. on both
| ships. Within 300 leagues OF the
Ladrone Islands "A severe gale was
| encountered in which both vessels
| sprang a leak. The Gloucester. great
| ly crippled through the number of men
she had lost by disease. could not he
| kept afloat: in consequence, she was
| abandoned. and her officers and crew
| transferred TO the Centurion, which at
| ter many perils came to anchor in the
| roaustedu OF Macao on NOV. IL, lt4z.
| Even with the accession of the survl-
vors of the crews of the Trial and
Gloucester, not above 300 officers and
men remained alive on the Centurion.
| After refitting at Macao this vesse,
| proceeded to cruise of Cape Espiritr
santo, where she lay In wait for the
| Manila galleon on its return voyage
from Acapulco, Finally. on June 90
| 1IiS, the long-wlshed for craft hove In
sight. After brief engagement II
surrendered with at least sl,500.000 Of
treasure. With the prize Arson made
sail for Canton, whence, after reflttinR,
he departed for England. where he
safely arrived year later. OF the
| 1,520 officers. sailors and marines that
had embarked IN the English ships,
more than 1000 had persisted through,
disease and the perils OF the sea, while
of the squadron, the Centurion alone
accomplished the voyage around the
world, which lasted four years.