was certain he should prove too hard for them
both, and that one of them at least could not fail of becoming his prize.
He further added that many ridiculous tales had been propagated about the
strength of the sides of these ships, and their being impenetrable to
cannon-shot; that these fictions had been principally invented to
palliate the cowardice of those who had formerly engaged them; but he
hoped they were none of those present weak enough to give credit to so
absurd a story. For his own part he did assure them upon his word that,
whenever he met with them, he would fight them so near that they should
find his bullets, instead of being stopped by one of their sides, should
go through them both.

CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS.

This speech of the Commodore's was received by his people with great joy,
for no sooner had he ended than they expressed their approbation,
according to naval custom, by three strenuous cheers, and all declared
their determination to succeed or perish whenever the opportunity
presented itself. And now their hopes, which since their departure from
the coast of Mexico had entirely subsided, were again revived; and they
all persuaded themselves that, notwithstanding the various casualties and
disappointments they had hitherto met with, they should yet be repaid the
price of their fatigues, and should at last return home enriched with the
spoils of the enemy. For, firmly relying on the assurances of the
Commodore that they should certainly meet with the vessels, they were all
of them too sanguine to doubt a moment of mastering them; so that they
considered themselves as having them already in their possession. And
this confidence was so universally spread through the whole ship's
company that, the Commodore having taken some Chinese sheep to sea with
him for his own provision, and one day enquiring of his butcher why for
some time past he had seen no mutton at his table, asking him if all the
sheep were killed, the butcher very seriously replied that there were
indeed two sheep left, but that if his honour would give him leave, he
proposed to keep those for the entertainment of the General of the
galleons.

When the Centurion left the port of Macao she stood for some days to the
westward, and on the 1st of May they saw part of the island of Formosa,
and standing thence to the southward, they, on the 4th of May about seven
in the evening, discovered from the masthead five small islands, which
were judg