Wager Mutiny

[5][6][7][8] The squadron took forty days to reach Funchal where they replenished supplies of water, wood and food before making the Atlantic crossing to Santa Catarina.

The high contingent of invalids, coupled with disease among the crew, meant that Anson's squadron was in poor condition for the arduous rounding of Cape Horn.

[13] Anson impressed on Cheap the importance of Wager and her role in the mission, as the squadron would draw on her store of small arms and ammunition to attack shore bases along the coast of present-day Chile.

Added to this was the deteriorating health of Wager's crew: the ongoing scurvy outbreak meant few able-bodied seamen were available to work the ship and carry out running repairs to the continually battered rigging.

In the middle of the night, the moon shone through the cloud for a few minutes, revealing to diligent sentinels aboard Anna towering waves breaking onto the Patagonian coastline.

The gunner, John Bulkley, objected strongly to this proposal, arguing that they should proceed to the secondary squadron rendezvous, the island of Juan Fernández, their primary destination; it was not as close to the mainland as Socorro and was less likely to result in the wrecking of the ship on a lee shore.

What Bulkley did not know was that Cheap was following his orders and it had been impressed upon him that the siege guns in the hold of Wager were required for attacking Valdivia; he was unwilling to abandon hope of reuniting with Anson.

Bulkley set the wheels in motion by drafting the following letter for Cheap to sign: Whereas upon a General Consultation, it has been agreed to go from this Place through the Streights of Magellan, for the coast of Brazil, in our way for England: We do, notwithstanding, find the People separating into Parties, which must consequently end in the Destruction of the whole Body; and as also there have been great robberies committed on the Stores and every Thing is now at a Stand; therefore, to prevent all future Frauds and Animosoties, we are unanimously agreed to proceed as above-mentioned.

[20][34]Baynes was presented with the letter to read, after which he said: I cannot suppose the Captain will refuse the signing of it; but he is so self-willed, the best step we can take, is to put him under arrest for the killing of Mr. Cozens.

By now Bulkley was despairing of the men aboard the schooner; most were in the advanced stages of starvation, exposed in a desperately cold, open boat, and had lapsed into apathy.

Ten men were picked out and forced to sign a paper consenting to being cast ashore on the uninhabited, frozen, bog-ridden southern coast of present-day Chile, a virtual death sentence.

[43] Eventually, and after a brief stop at a Portuguese outpost on the River Plate, where the crew were fleeced by the locals for meagre provisions and cheated by a priest who disappeared with their fowling pieces (shotguns) on the promise of returning with game,[44] Speedwell set sail once more.

Fifteen days after returning to the island, the men were visited by a party of indigenous Chono nomads[49] led by Martín Olleta,[50] who were astonished to find castaways there.

[47][53] Before handing over the English to Spanish authorities, Olleta's party stopped somewhere south of Chiloé Island to hide all iron objects, likely to avoid having them confiscated.

[50] The surviving mutineers had an anxious time before eventually securing passage to Rio de Janeiro on the brigantine Saint Catherine, which set sail on 28 March 1742.

The biggest obstacle in Byron's efforts to return to England began firstly with the old lady who initially looked after him (and her two daughters) in the countryside before his move to the town itself.

[citation needed] He wrote: On 20 December 1744, Cheap, Hamilton and Byron embarked on the French ship Lys,[64][65] which had to return to Valparaiso after springing a leak.

After managing to get lost and sail obliviously by night through the very dangerous island chain between Grenada and St Vincent, the ship headed for Puerto Rico.

[59] Left by Bulkley at Freshwater Bay, in the place where today stands the resort city of Mar del Plata,[68][69] were eight men who were alone, starving, sickly and in a hostile and remote country.

After a month of living on sea lions killed with stones to preserve ball and powder, the group began the 300-mile (480 km) trek north to Buenos Aires.

After being bought and sold four times, they were eventually taken before Cangapol,[72] a chieftain who led a loose confederation of nomad tribes dwelling between the rivers Negro and Lujan.

It was here that the three Freshwater Bay survivors—Midshipman Isaac Morris, Seaman Samuel Cooper and John Andrews—were languishing as prisoners of war aboard Asia, along with sixteen other English sailors from another ship.

While his fellow shipmates were treated harshly and confined aboard Asia, Campbell, who had voluntarily converted to Catholicism, wined and dined with various captains on the social circuit of Montevideo.

After four months held captive in awful conditions, the three Freshwater Bay survivors were eventually released to Portugal, from where they sailed for England, arriving in London on 5 July 1746.

After all he had been through, he completes his account of this incredible story thus: Proceedings for a full court martial to inquire into the loss of Wager were initiated once Cheap had returned and made his report to the Admiralty.

On hearing this, Bulkley arranged to dine with the Deputy Marshal of the Admiralty (the enforcing officer of the Royal Navy command) but kept his true identity concealed.

Cheap was in a vindictive frame of mind, telling them: Upon securing the main players, trial was set for Tuesday 15 April 1746, presided by Vice Admiral of the Red Squadron James Steuart.

Much of what happened on the day land was first sighted off Patagonia as recounted here came out in sworn testimonies, with statements from Cheap, Byron, Hamilton, Bulkley, Cummins and King (who had also returned to England, under unknown circumstances) and a number of other crew members.

[20][91] Campbell completed his narrative of the Wager affair by denying he had entered the service of the Spanish Navy; however, in the same year his book was published, a report was made against him.

Commodore Edward Legge (formerly captain of Severn in Anson's original squadron) reported that whilst cruising in Portuguese waters, he encountered a certain Alexander Campbell in port, formerly of the Royal Navy and HMS Wager, enlisting English seamen and sending them overland to Cadiz to join the Spanish service.