e huts for
themselves; as it was imagined that by living a part they would be much
cleanlier, and consequently likely to recover their strength the sooner;
but at the same time particular orders were given that on the firing of a
gun from the ship they should instantly repair to the waterside.

I should have mentioned that the Trial sloop at her arrival had informed
us that on the 9th of May she had fallen in with our victualler not far
distant from the continent of Chili, and had kept company with her for
four days, when they were parted in a hard gale of wind. This gave us
some room to hope that she was safe, and that she might soon join us; but
all June and July being past without any news of her, we suspected she
was lost, and at the end of July the Commodore ordered all the ships to a
short allowance of bread.* And it was not in our bread only that we
feared a deficiency, for since our arrival at this island we discovered
that our former purser had neglected to take on board large quantities of
several kinds of provisions which the Commodore had expressly ordered him
to receive; so that the supposed loss of our victualler was on all
accounts a mortifying consideration.

THE ANNA PINK.

However, on Sunday, the 16th of August, about noon, we espied a sail in
the northern quarter, and a gun was immediately fired from the Centurion
to call off the people from shore, who readily obeyed the summons and
repaired to the beach, where the boats waited to carry them on board. And
now being prepared for the reception of this ship in view whether friend
or enemy, we had various speculations about her; but about three in the
afternoon our disputes were ended by unanimous persuasion that it was our
victualler, the Anna pink. This ship, though, like the Gloucester, she
had fallen in to the northward of the island, had yet the good fortune to
come to an anchor in the bay at five in the afternoon. Her arrival gave
us all the sincerest joy, for each ship's company was now restored to its
full allowance of bread, and we were now freed from the apprehensions of
our provisions falling short before we could reach some amicable port--a
calamity which, in these seas, is of all others the most irretrievable.
This was the last ship that joined us.

(*Note. The flour was on board the Anna pink.)

CHAPTER 12.
THE WRECK OF THE WAGER--A MUTINY.

The remaining ships of the squadron were the Severn, the Pearl, and the
Wager, store-ship. T