from Paluo;
and, however contemptible the ships and sailors of this part of the
world may have been generally esteemed, it was hardly possible for
any thing bearing the name of a ship of war, to be feebler or less
considerable than ourselves. Even if there had been nothing to
apprehend from the naval power of the Spaniards in these seas, yet our
enfeebled situation necessarily gave us great uneasiness, as we were
incapable of making an attempt against any of their considerable
places; for, in our state of weakness, the risking even of twenty
men, would have put the safety of the whole in hazard. We conceived,
therefore, that we should be forced to content ourselves with what
prizes we might be able to fall in with at sea, before we were
discovered, and then to depart precipitately, and esteem ourselves
fortunate to regain our native country; leaving our enemies to triumph
on the inconsiderable mischief they had suffered from a squadron which
had filled them with such dreadful apprehensions. We had reason to
imagine the Spanish ostentation would remarkably exert itself on
this subject, though our disappointment and their security neither
originated in their valour nor our misconduct. Such were the
desponding reflections which at this time arose, on the review and
comparison of our remaining weakness with our original strength: And,
indeed, our fears were far from being groundless, or disproportionate
to our feeble and almost desperate condition: For, though the final
event proved more honourable than we foreboded, yet the intermediate
calamities did likewise surpass our most gloomy apprehensions; and,
could these have been predicted to us while at Juan Fernandez, they
would doubtless have appeared insurmountable.

In the beginning of September, as already mentioned, our men being
tolerably well recovered, and the season of navigation in these seas
drawing nigh, we exerted ourselves in getting our ships ready for sea.
We converted the foremast of the Anna into a new main-mast for the
Tryal; and, still flattering ourselves with the possible hope of
some other ships of our squadron arriving, we intended to leave the
main-mast of the Anna, to make a new mizen-mast for the Wager. All
hands being thus employed in preparing for our departure, we espied
a sail to the N.E. about eleven a.m. of the 18th September, which
continued to approach us till her courses appeared even with the
horizon. While advancing, we had great hopes t