Centurion,
and examining the state of her bottom: For this purpose the first
lieutenant was dispatched to Canton to hire two country vessels,
called in their language junks, one of them being intended to heave
down by, and the other to serve as a magazine for the powder and
ammunition: At the same time the ground was smoothed on one of the
neighbouring islands, and a large tent was pitched for lodging the
lumber and provisions, and near a hundred Chinese caulkers were
soon set to work on the decks and sides of the ship. But all these
preparations, and the getting ready the careening gear, took up a
great deal of time; for the Chinese caulkers, though they worked very
well, were far from being expeditions; and it was the 26th of January
before the junks arrived; and the necessary materials, which were
to be purchased at Canton, came down very slowly, partly from the
distance of the place, and partly from the delays and backwardness
of the Chinese merchants. And in this interval Mr Anson had the
additional perplexity to discover that his fore-mast was broken
asunder above the upper deck partners, and was only kept together by
the fishes which had been formerly clapt upon it.

However, the Centurion's people made the most of their time, and
exerted themselves the best they could; and as, by clearing the ship,
the carpenters were enabled to come at the leak, they took care to
secure that effectually, whilst the other preparations were going
forwards. The leak was found to be below the fifteen-foot mark, and
was principally occasioned by one of the bolts being wore away and
loose in the joining of the stem where it was scarfed.

At last all things being prepared, they, on the 22d of February, in
the morning, hove out the first course of the Centurion's starboard
side, and had the satisfaction to find that her bottom appeared sound
and good; and, the next day (having by that time completed the new
sheathing of the first course) they righted her again, to set up
anew the careening rigging which stretched much. Thus they continued
heaving down, and often righting the ship from a suspicion of their
careening tackle, till the 3d of March; when, having completed the
paying and sheathing the bottom, which proved to be every where very
sound, they for the last time righted the ship to their great joy, for
not only the fatigue of careening had been considerable, but they had
been apprehensive of being attacked by the Spaniards, wh