Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
including Midshipman John Byron, of whom we shall hear more, had
a scarcely less adventurous escape. A hazardous rescue by Indians,
who took them up the coast in flimsy canoes, was followed by their
arrest by Spaniards who took them to Valparaiso. But their captors
treated them well and eventually sent them back to Europe.
What makes it even more remarkable that most of Anson's
ships got round the Horn was the fact that their captains had impre-
cise and inaccurate information. The charts compiled by early mar-
iners - usually under appalling conditions - bore little relation to
reality. It was still impossible to calculate longitude accurately and
some chart markings were as much as two hundred miles out. An-
son, knowing how unreliable his information was, bore well to the
south so as to avoid being driven on-shore. But he was still deceived
by the lie of the land - with almost fatal results:
April 13th 1741 . . . Squally. At 1 a.m., providentially clearing up,
discerned land right ahead about 2 leagues . . . This was a most unex-
pected sight, esteeming ourselves at that time near 200 leagues off . .
. The Commander immediately made the signal to stand to the south
West
.
8
While the other vessels encountered all manner of difficulties,
the flagship eventually cleared the Horn. Anson made for Juan
Fernandez and anchored there, hoping that the rest of his fleet
would rejoin him. Between 12 June and 17 August the
Tryall,
the
Gloucester
and the
Anna
reached the island. They were in a pitiable
state. The storeship was almost completely rotten below the wa-
terline and had to be burnt. Dead bodies lay all over the decks of
the sloop, 'it being impossible to conceive the stench and filthiness
which men lay in or the condition that the ship was in between
with provisions. She was found to be in 'a most deplorable condition,
