<P> Captain Dandy Kidd was moved from Wager to the Pearl, and Captain Murray moved to command Wager . Kidd died on the voyage after the squadron left Santa Catarina and before they reached the straits of Staten Island . On his death bed, he predicted success and riches for some, but death and devastating hardship for the crew of Wager . For the notoriously superstitious sailors on board Wager, this was awful news . As it turned out, it was an accurate prophecy . </P> <P> 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 of 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 denigrating the technical abilities of many of the officers, and being easily moved to fits of rage . 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; the squadron would draw on Wager's store of small arms and ammunition to attack shore bases along the west coast of Chile . </P> <P> The delays of the voyage were most keenly felt when the squadron rounded the Horn . The weather conditions were atrocious; high sea states and contrary winds meant that progress west was very slow . Added to this was the deteriorating health of the crew: because of scurvy, few able - bodied seamen were available to work the ship and carry out running repairs to the continually battered rigging . </P> <P> After many weeks working westwards to clear the Horn, the squadron turned north when navigational reckoning suggested enough westerly had been made . At this time latitudinal determination was relatively easy with the use of a sextant; however, longitudinal determination was much harder to predict: it required accurate time - pieces or a good view of the stars on stable ground, neither of which were available to the squadron . Longitude was predicted by dead reckoning, an impossible task given the storm conditions, strong currents and length of time involved . The intention was to turn north only when Anson was reasonably certain that the Horn had been cleared . </P>

Explain the story of the speedwell and what happened to it