On the 18th of September, 1740, the squadron weighed from St. Helens with
a contrary wind. It consisted of five men-of-war, a sloop-of-war, and two
victualling ships. They were the Centurion, of 60 guns, 400 men, George
Anson, Esquire, commander; the "Gloucester", of 50 guns, 300 men, Richard
Norris, commander; the "Severn", of 50 guns, 300 men, the Honourable
Edward Legg, commander; the Pearl, of 40 guns, 250 men, Matthew Mitchel,
commander; the "Wager", of 28 guns, 160 men, Dandy Kidd, commander; and
the "Trial", sloop, of 8 guns, 100 men, the Honourable John Murray,
commander. The two victuallers were pinks, the largest about 400 and the
other about 200 tons burthen; these were to attend us till the provisions
we had taken on board were so far consumed as to make room for the
additional quantity they carried with them, which when we had taken into
our ships they were to be discharged. Besides the complement of men borne
by the above-mentioned ships as their crews, there were embarked on board
the squadron about 470 invalids and marines, under the denomination of
land forces, which were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Cracherode.

The winds were so contrary that we had the mortification to be forty days
in our passage from St. Helens to the island of Madeira, though it is
known to be often done in ten or twelve. However, at last, on Monday,
October the 25th, at five in the morning, we, to our great joy, made the
land, and in the afternoon came to an anchor in Madeira Road.

We continued about a week at this island, watering our ships and
providing the squadron with wine and other refreshments.

When Mr. Anson visited the Governor of Madeira* he received information
from him that for three or four days in the latter end of October there
had appeared, to the westward of that island, seven or eight ships of the