obliged us to put
back to St Helens, not without considerable hazard, and some damage
received by two of the transports, which ran foul of each other when
tacking. We made two or three other attempts to sail, but without any
better success; and, on the 6th September, being returned to anchor
at St Helens, after one of those fruitless attempts, the wind blew so
fresh that the whole fleet had to strike yards and topmasts to prevent
drifting: Yet, notwithstanding this precaution, the Centurion drove
next evening, and brought both cables a-head, when we were in no small
danger of getting foul of the Prince Frederick, a seventy-gun ship,
which was moored only a small distance under our stern, but we happily
escaped, in consequence of her drifting at the same time, by which she
preserved her distance, yet we did not think ourselves safe till we at
last let go our sheet anchor, which fortunately brought us up.

We were in some measure relieved from this lingering and vexatious
situation on the 9th September, by an order then received by
Commodore Anson, from the lords justices, to put to sea on the first
opportunity, with his own squadron only, if Lord Cathcart should not
be ready. Being thus freed from the troublesome company of so large
a fleet, our commodore resolved to weigh and tide it down channel,
as soon as the weather should become sufficiently moderate, and this
might easily have been done by our squadron full two months sooner,
had the orders of the Admiralty for supplying us with seamen been
punctually complied with, and had we met with none of those other
delays mentioned in this narration. Even now, our hopes of a speedy
departure were somewhat damped, by a subsequent order which Mr Anson
received on the 12th September, by which he was required to take under
his convoy the St Albans and the Turkey fleet, and to join the Dragon
and the Winchester, with the Straits and American trade, at Torbay or
Plymouth, and to proceed with them to sea as far as their way and
ours lay together. This encumbrance of convoy gave us some uneasiness,
fearing it might lengthen our passage to Madeira: However, having now
the command to himself, Mr Anson resolved to tide down channel with
the first moderate weather; and, that the junction of the convoy
might occasion as little loss of time as possible, he immediately sent
directions to Torbay that the fleet he was there to take charge of
should be in readiness to join him instantly on h