age, which he had reason to expect would
prove very long. However, to render this appointment more tolerable,
Sir Charles Wager informed him that the expedition to the South Sea
was still intended; and that he, Mr Anson, and his squadron, as their
first destination was now countermanded, should be employed in that
service. And, on the 10th January, 1740, he received his commission,
appointing him Commander-in-chief of the before-mentioned squadron,
the Argyle being in the course of preparation exchanged for the
Gloucester, with which he sailed above eight months afterwards from St
Helens. On this change of destination, the equipment of the squadron
was still prosecuted with as much vigour as ever; and the victualling,
and whatever depended on the commodore, was soon so far advanced, that
he conceived the ships might be capable of putting to sea the
instant he should receive his final orders, of which he was in daily
expectation.

At length, on the 28th June, 1740, the Duke of Newcastle, principal
secretary of state, delivered to him his majesty's instructions, dated
on the 31st of January preceding, with an additional instruction from
the lords justices, dated 19th June. On the receipt of these, Mr Anson
immediately repaired to Spithead, with a resolution to sail with the
first fair wind, flattering himself that all his difficulties were now
at an end: for though he knew by the muster that his squadron wanted
three hundred men of their complement, a deficiency he had not, with
all his assiduity, been able to get supplied, yet as Sir Charles Wager
had informed him that an order from the board of Admiralty was sent to
Sir John Norris to spare him the numbers which he wanted; he doubted
not of its being complied with. But, on his arrival at Portsmouth, he
found himself greatly mistaken and disappointed in this persuasion:
for, on application, Sir John Norris told him he could spare him none,
as he wanted men for his own fleet. This occasioned an inevitable
and very considerable delay, and it was the end of July before this
deficiency was by any means supplied, and all that was then done
was extremely short of his necessities and expectation; for Admiral
Balchen, who succeeded to the command at Spithead, after Sir John
Norris had sailed to the westward, instead of three hundred sailors
which Mr Anson wanted of his complement, ordered on board the squadron
an hundred and seventy men only, of which thirty-two were from the
h