they had received from a squadron whose equipment had filled them with
such dreadful apprehensions. It is true the final event proved more
honourable than we had foreboded; but the intermediate calamities did
likewise greatly surpass our most gloomy apprehensions, and could they
have been predicted to us at this island of Juan Fernandez, they would
doubtless have appeared insurmountable.


CHAPTER 15.
A PRIZE--SPANISH PREPARATIONS--A NARROW ESCAPE.

A CHASE.

In the beginning of September, as has been already mentioned, our men
were tolerably well recovered; and now the time of navigation in this
climate drawing near, we exerted ourselves in getting our ships in
readiness for the sea. On the 8th, about eleven in the morning, we espied
a sail to the north-east, which continued to approach us till her courses
appeared even with the horizon. In this interval we all had hopes she
might prove one of our own squadron; but at length, finding she steered
away to the eastward without hauling in for the island, we concluded she
must be a Spaniard. It was resolved to pursue her; and the Centurion
being in the greatest forwardness, we immediately got all our hands on
board, set up our rigging, bent our sails, and by five in the afternoon
got under sail. We had at this time very little wind, so that all the
boats were employed to tow us out of the bay; and even what wind there
was lasted only long enough to give us an offing of two or three leagues,
when it flattened to a calm. The night coming on, we lost sight of the
chase, and were extremely impatient for the return of daylight, in hopes
to find that she had been becalmed as well as we, though I must confess