caustic in speech, having sorrows of his own under lock and key, on this
and subsequent occasions. Excellent Tobias; he has, little as he hopes
it, something considerable by way of mission in this Expedition, and
in this Universe generally. Mission to take Portraiture of English
Seamanhood, with the due grimness, due fidelity; and convey the same to
remote generations, before it vanish. Courage, my brave young Tobias;
through endless sorrows, contradictions, toils and confusions, you will
do your errand in some measure; and that will be something!--

"Five weeks before (29th September, 1740, which was also several months
beyond time set), there had sailed, strictly hidden by embargoes which
were little effectual, another Expedition, all Naval; intended to be
subsidiary to this one: Commodore Anson's, of three inconsiderable
Ships; who is to go round Cape Horn, if he can; to bombard Spanish
America from the other side; and stretch out a hand to Vernon in his
grand Carthagena or ulterior views. Together they may do some execution,
if we judge by the old Bucanier and Queen-Elizabeth experiences? Anson's
Expedition has become famous in the world, though Vernon got no good of
it."

Well! Here truly was a business; not so ill-contrived. Somebody of head
must have been at the centre of this: and it might, in result, have
astonished the Spaniard, and tumbled him much topsy-turvy in those
latitudes,--had the machinery for executing it been well in gear. Under
Friedrich Wilhelm's captaincy and management, every person, every item,
correct to its time, to its place, to its function, what a thing!
But with mere Walpole Machinery: alas, it was far too wide a Plan for
Machinery of that kind, habitually out of order, and only used to be as
correct as--as it could. Those DELAYS themselves, first to Anson, then
to Ogle, since the Tropical Almanac would not delay along with them, had
thrown both Enterprises into weather such as all but meant impossibility
in those latitudes! This was irremediable;--had not been remediable, by
efforts and pushings here and there. The best of management, as under
Anson, could not get the better of this; worst of management, as in the
other case, was likely to make a fine thing of it! Let us hasten on:--

"January 20th, 1741, We arrive, through much rough weather and other
confused hardships, at Port Royal in Jamaica; find Vernon waiting on
the slip; the American Regiment, tolerably drilled by the Scotch