Spithead To Staten Island
After taking 40 days to reach Funchal, the squadron replenished supplies of water, wood and fresh food before making the Atlantic crossing to Santa Catarina. Two weeks into this leg of the journey the store ship Industry signaled to the Commodore that it required to speak to him. The Captain of Industry told Anson that his contract had been fulfilled and the ship needed to turn back for England. The stores from Industry were therefore distributed amongst the remaining ships, with a large quantity of rum sent aboard Wager. Wager therefore held three main classes of cargo aboard (aside from her own allocated stores) namely; rum, trading goods for use with the local Indians up the coast of South America, which were to be traded for supplies required by the squadron and used to subvert Spanish rule and finally, small-arms with powder and ball to arm shore raiding parties.
Progress of the squadron to Staten Island on the Atlantic side of Cape Horn was only remarkable for the time that was taken to reach Funchal; this was seen as simply an inconvenience at the time, but this delay, coupled with the impressment of many sailors back in England who had recently been at sea for some time and had not fully restored their bodies to a fresh food diet, was to result in scurvy killing many men in the squadron. The high contingent of invalids in the squadron, coupled with the outbreak of scurvy meant that Anson's squadron was badly placed for the arduous rounding of the Horn.
Captain Dandy Kidd was moved from Wager to the Pearl and Captain Murray moved to command Wager, however Kidd died on the voyage after the squadron left Santa Catarina before they reached the straits of Staten Island, who then horrified the officers and crew on his death-bed by predicting success and riches for some on the mission, but only death and devastating hardship for the crew of Wager. For the notoriously superstitious sailors on board Wager this was awful news to hear, and as was to turn out, an accurate prophecy.
Kidd was replaced by Captain Murray, who left Wager to take command of Pearl. Lieutenant David Cheap was moved from the small sloop Tryal and promoted to Captain of Wager. Cheap was placed in command for the first time to a much larger vessel, crewed by sick and dispirited men who had not had the benefit of a long-serving captain. Cheap compounded these handicaps by holding many of the officers in contempt of their technical abilities and being easily moved to fits of rage. The judgement of Anson was not wholly questionable however, in Cheap's favour he was a capable seaman and navigator, a big man who feared nobody and, possibly most importantly, a loyal and determined officer. The importance of the Wager and her role in the mission was pressed on Cheap by Anson as he assumed command of the vessel; the squadron would draw on her store of small arms and ammunition to attack shore bases along the west coast of Chile. These insights to Cheap's character and the importance of the role of his vessel to the squadron are significant in understanding the captain's behaviour during later events.
Read more about this topic: Wager Mutiny
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“I have hardly begun to live on Staten Island yet; but, like the man who, when forbidden to tread on English ground, carried Scottish ground in his boots, I carry Concord ground in my boots and in my hat,—and am I not made of Concord dust? I cannot realize that it is the roar of the sea I hear now, and not the wind in Walden woods. I find more of Concord, after all, in the prospect of the sea, beyond Sandy Hook, than in the fields and woods.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I have hardly begun to live on Staten Island yet; but, like the man who, when forbidden to tread on English ground, carried Scottish ground in his boots, I carry Concord ground in my boots and in my hat,—and am I not made of Concord dust? I cannot realize that it is the roar of the sea I hear now, and not the wind in Walden woods. I find more of Concord, after all, in the prospect of the sea, beyond Sandy Hook, than in the fields and woods.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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