the Chinese carpenters for the necessary repairs of the
ship, while he had considerable difficulty at times, in consequence of
the behaviour of the Chinese authorities, in obtaining provisions.

At length, on the 19th of April, all being ready, the _Centurion_ made
sail and stood out to sea, her crew increased by several Lascars and
Dutch, so that she was now in a condition to resume hostilities. Before
Anson left Macao, he let it be understood that he intended to touch at
Batavia on his homeward voyage, but he had formed a very different
decision.

The Manilla galleon, not having sailed from Acapulco, in consequence of
his appearance off that place, calculating that there would be two
vessels this year instead of one, he determined to cruise off the island
of Samal in the hopes of intercepting them. He at first kept this plan
to himself, but as soon as the ship was at sea he summoned the crew on
deck and informed them of his intentions. The place he intended to
cruise off was Cape Espirito Santo. It was sighted on the 20th of May.
As the commodore knew that sentinels were placed on that cape to give
notice of the Manilla ship as soon as she made the land, he immediately
tacked and took in top-gallant sails to avoid being discovered.

The crew were now kept constantly practising at their guns, an exercise
which had been pursued for some time previously. By this means they
were rendered extremely skilful. Every preparation was also made for
battle. The commodore's journal shows how anxiously he and all on board
were looking out for their expected prize. At last, just a month after
the arrival of the _Centurion_ at her station, a sail was discovered at
sunrise in the south-east quarter, by a midshipman, Mr Charles Proby.
The commodore had taken every means in his power to secure the victory.
He had placed about thirty of his choicest marksmen in the tops, and as
he had not hands enough remaining to quarter a sufficient number to each
great gun in the usual manner, he placed on his lower tier only two men
to each gun, who were to be employed solely in loading it, while the
rest of the people were divided into different gangs of ten men each to
run out and fire such guns as were loaded. By this arrangement he was
able to make use of all his guns, and instead of firing broadsides at
intervals, to keep up a constant fire without intermission. He knew
that it was the custom of the Spaniards to fall down on deck whe