THE WAR OF 1812 115 



I am bound off St. Salvadore, thence off Cape Trio, where I intend to 

 cruise until the 1st of January. Go off Cape Trio, to the northward of 

 Rio Janeiro, and keep a look-out for me. 



Your Friend. 



''Kerr of the Acasta'^ was Bainbridge of the Constitution, 

 and Porter, in accordance with his instructions, cruised off 

 Brazil until he was convinced by such information as he gathered 

 from occasional vessels, that there was small prospect of meet- 

 ing him. Left to his own contrivances, he then doubled Cape 

 Horn, anchored for provisions and water at the island of Mocha, 

 and stood for Valparaiso, where the Chilians, who had recently 

 achieved independence and thus were no longer hampered by 

 Spain's alliance with England, cordially welcomed him. 



The surprise of the welcome was great, for English influence 

 had hitherto dominated South America, and Porter eagerly 

 seized the opportunity to get needed supplies. But there was 

 other news of moment. There were many American whalers in 

 the Pacific; most of them had left home in time of peace and 

 were entirely unarmed; some of them, having kept the seas for 

 months, probably did not even know that war existed. The 

 British whalers in the Pacific, on the other hand, were all more 

 or less armed; some of them had even sailed as regular letters of 

 marque; and the Viceroy of Peru had actually sent out cruisers 

 against American vessels. Porter's judgment in entering the 

 Pacific, after missing Bainbridge, had been excellent; he had 

 arrived at the moment when an American man-of-war was 

 sorely needed. 



On March 20th, after five days in port, which served to re- 

 plenish the supplies of food, water, and cordage, and with such 

 news of the whaling fleets as a whaler that had happened into 

 Valparaiso from the islands had given him. Porter again put to 

 sea; and on March 25th he fell in with the ship Charles, of 

 Nantucket. 



From the master of the Charles, Porter got news on which he 

 based immediate action: two days earlier a Peruvian priva- 

 teer, accompanied by an English ship, had captured the Ameri- 

 can whalers. Walker and Barclay, off Coquimbo. The Essex 



