only four invalids, including officers, and eleven marines; and on board
the Gloucester every invalid perished, and out of forty-eight marines
only two escaped. From this account it appears that the three ships
together departed from England with 961 men on board, of whom 626 were
dead before this time; so that the whole of our remaining crews, which
were now to be distributed among three ships, amounted to no more than
335 men and boys, a number greatly insufficient for manning the Centurion
alone, and barely capable of navigating all the three with the utmost
exertion of their strength and vigour. This prodigious reduction of our
men was still the more terrifying as we were hitherto uncertain of the
fate of Pizarro's squadron, and had reason to suppose that some part of
it at least had got round into these seas. Indeed we were satisfied from
our own experience that they must have suffered greatly in their passage;
but then every port in the South Seas was open to them, and the whole
power of Chile and Peru would doubtless be united in refreshing and
refitting them, and recruiting the numbers they had lost. Besides, we had
some obscure knowledge of a force to be fitted out at Callao; and,
however contemptible the ships and sailors of this part of the world may
have been generally esteemed, it was scarcely possible for anything
bearing the name of a ship of force to be feebler or less considerable
than ourselves. And had there been nothing to be apprehended from the
naval power of the Spaniards in this part of the world, yet our enfeebled
condition would nevertheless give us the greatest uneasiness, as we were
incapable of attempting any of their considerable places; for the risking
of twenty men, weak as we then were, was risking the safety of the whole.
So that we conceived we should be necessitated to content ourselves with
what few prizes we could pick up at sea before we were discovered, after
which we should in all probability be obliged to depart with
precipitation, and esteem ourselves fortunate to regain our native
country, leaving our enemies to triumph on the inconsiderable mischief