and adhered to the old Style (OS.). The result was a considerable
confusion in dates as will be plain in the course of the book. The New
Style was adopted by England in 1751, when eleven days had to be omitted,
and September 3rd was reckoned as September 14th. Ignorant people thought
that they were defrauded of eleven days wages. "Give us back our eleven
days" became a popular cry against the Minister of the time. Russia and
other countries under the Greek Church still adhere to the old Style and
are now thirteen days behind.)

(**Note. Anson's squadron was then at St. Catherine's in Brazil. See
below, Chapter 3.)

(***Note. The Spanish squadron when it sailed from Maldonado consisted of
the following ships: "Asia", 66 guns, flag ship; "Guipuscoa", 74;
"Hermiona", 54; "Esperanza", 50; "St. Estevan", 40. The Asia was the only
ship that ever returned to Spain.)

Pizarro with his squadron having, towards the latter end of February, run
the length of Cape Horn, he then stood to the westward in order to double
it; but in the night of the last day of February, OS. while, with this
view, they were turned to windward the Guipuscoa, the Hermiona, and the
Esperanza were separated from the Admiral. On the 6th of March following
the Guipuscoa was separated from the other two, and on the 7th (being the
day after we had passed straits le Maire) there came on a most furious
storm at north-west, which, in despite of all their efforts, drove the
whole squadron to the eastward, and obliged them, after several fruitless
attempts, to bear away for the River of Plate, where Pizarro in the Asia
arrived about the middle of May and a few days after him the Esperanza
and the St. Estevan. The Hermiona was supposed to founder at sea for she
was never heard of more and the Guipuscoa was run ashore and sunk on the