as surprised to find, that in all this time the galleon
did not change her course, but continued to bear down upon him; for
he hardly believed, what afterwards appeared to be the case, that she
knew his ship to be the Centurion, and resolved to fight him.

About noon the commodore was little more than a league distant from
the galleon, and could fetch her wake, so that she could not now
escape; and, no second ship appearing, it was concluded that she had
been separated from her consort. Soon after, the galleon haled up
her fore-sail, and brought-to under top-sails, with her head to the
northward, hoisting Spanish colours, and having the standard of Spain
flying at the top-gallant-mast-head. Mr Anson, in the mean time, had
prepared all things for an engagement on board the Centurion, and had
taken all possible care, both for the most effectual exertion of his
small strength, and for the avoiding the confusion and tumult too
frequent in actions of this kind. He picked out about thirty of his
choicest hands and best marksmen, whom he distributed into his tops,
and who fully answered his expectation, by the signal services
they performed. As he had not hands enough remaining to quarter a
sufficient number to each great gun, in the customary manner, he
therefore, on his lower tire, fixed only two men to each gun, who were
to be solely employed in loading it, whilst the rest of his people
were divided into different gangs of ten or twelve men each, who were
constantly moving about the decks, to ran out and fire such guns as
were loaded. By this management he was enabled to make use of all his
guns; and, instead of firing broad-sides with intervals between them,
he kept up a constant fire without intermission, whence he doubted not
to procure very signal advantages; for it is common with the Spaniards
to fall down upon the decks when they see a broadside preparing, and
to continue in that posture till it is given; after which they rise
again, and, presuming the danger to be for some time over, work their
guns, and fire with great briskness, till another broad-side is ready:
But the firing gun by gun, in the manner directed by the commodore,
rendered this practice of theirs impossible.

The Centurion being thus prepared, and nearing the galleon apace,
there happened, a little after noon, several squalls of wind and rain,
which often obscured the galleon from their sight; but whenever it
cleared up, they observed her resolutely