Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1909 — A TREASURE SHIP. [ARTICLE]

A TREASURE SHIP.

How the Centurion Captured a GoldLaden Spanish Vessel. Of the many Incidents of Anson's great voyage round the world, in the middle of the eighteenth century, none has made a greater impression on the popular m'.’il than the capture of the great ‘treasu; e ship Nuestra Senora de CabadongA, cn April*2o, 1743. 1.1 the the first place, the value of the pr’zj was enormous; in the second, the duel between cat Centurion an 1 treasure ship ,was a fine single-ship action; and in the third place, the victory came at a time when Anson’s fortunes seemed to be at a low ebb, when one disaster after another had reduced his squadron to one ship, and when sickness had reduced his gun's crews to two men each. The Nuestra Senora de Cabadonga, or as it is also called, de Covadonga, was a treasure ship from Manila, commanded by Don Geronimo Montero, and laden with specie and merchandise. She was sighted at sunrise from the masthead of the Centurion, and Master Richard Walter, Anson’s chaplain and historian, tells us that “a general joy spread through the whole ship.’’ Galleons nearly always cruised In couples, and it was supposed another must be near. The Centurion at once stood toward the Spaniard, and before 8 o’clock her officers could see the enemy from the deck. The firing of a gun by the galleon was taken by Anson’s men to be a consort to make haste and rejoin, and “to amuse the Dons” the Centurion herself fired a gun to leeward. But Don Geronimo Montero had no consort, nor did he underrate the prowess of his opponent. The Spaniards knew they were face to face with Anson and <he Centurion, and they were keen to fight. Throughout the forenoon the two ships crept closer and closer together, till by midday only a league separated them. Then the Nuestra Senora de Cabadonga brought to under topsails, with her head to the northward, and at the top-gallant masthead the standard of Spain was flying. Anson was not slow to accept the challenge, and he laid his plans with great foresight. Into the tops he sent 30 picked men, the best small arms marksmen in the ship. His broadside guns were manned only with two men each, and to them he gave instructions to do nothing but load their gun. The rest of the men were divided into gangs of 12, with orders to move up and down the battery for the sole purpose of running out and firing the guns as they were loaded. It was an unconventional way of fighting; continuous independent fire was the last thing the Spaniards expected, and it threw them into as much confusion as did the disaster which overtookeo them within a few minutes of the opening of the fight. A mass of mats and hammocks in the netting of the galleon caught fire, burning fiercely and blazing up nearly as high as the mizzen top. The two ships were practically within pistol shot, and 4t was probably, some gun wads from the Cen turion which started the blaze. To >OO thnrncph-pf? from the. danger was no light task, and it took the Spanis sea.ncii cline to cut the nettings away and tumble the flaming mass overboard, and in the meanwhile An son’s marksmen in the tops were subjecting the galleon’s upper decks to an incessant fusilade. Walter describes the effect as “prodigious havoc,” and adds that the marksmen succeeded in “killing or wounding every officer but one that appeared on the quarter deck, and wounding in particular the general of the galleon himself.” The fight raged in for two hours. Anson changing from round shout to grape in the second part of the engagement with deadly effect. The ships were so near that some of the Spanish officers were seen running about with much assiduity to prevent the desertion of their men from their quarters, but all their endeavors were in vain. After having as a last effort fired five or six guns “with more judgment than usual,’’ they yielded up the contest; and the galleon’s colors being burned off the ensign staff at the beginning of the engagement, she struck the standard at her main topgallant masthead. The Centurion did not escape undamaged; at the moment the galleon struck Anson was informed quietly that his ship was on Are near the powder room. He received the news with apparent emotion, and taking care not to alarm his people, gave the necessary orders for extinguishing the fire. The specie .in the Nuestra Senora de Cabadonga included 1,313,843 pieces ol eight, and 35,682 ounces of virgin silver, and the total value of the prize was assessed at £.113,000. And in this connection it is interesting to note that two other Spanish treasure ship! captured by English commanders bore names similar to that of Anson's prize There was the Nuestra Senora de) Rosarian, which Drake took, “and it it great booty,’’ from that most haughty of Spanish seamen, Don Pedro lo* Remedies, which was taken very richly laden by the Royal Family privates! off Cape St. Mary's three years aftei Anson’s great capture.—London Globe