THE WAR OF 1812 117 



That vessel, as Porter had suspected, was the Barclay. The 

 others appeared to be Spaniards and the Essex pursued them no 

 farther. In company with the recaptured Barclay, she made sail 

 for the Galapagos Islands. 



On searching the Charles Island "post office" — it was only a 

 box nailed to a post — Porter found records of the visits of five 

 whalers within a year. There was no mail for the Essex, but 

 one letter that they found, typical of the Hterary efforts of 

 whalemen of the period, has survived the ups and downs of a 

 hundred and ten years: 



June 14th, 1812. 

 Ship Sukey John Macy 7| months out 150 Barrels 75 days from Lima 

 No oil since leaving that Port Spanyards Very Savage Lost on the Braziel 

 Bank John Sealin Apprentis to Capt Benjamin Worth Fell from fore top 

 Sail Yard in a Gale of Wind Left Diana Capt paddock 14 days Since 250 

 Barrels I leave this port this Day With 250 Turpen 8 Boat Load Wood 

 Yesterday went up to Patts East Side to the Starboard hand of the Land- 

 ing 1| miles Saw 100 Turpen 20 Kods A part Road Very Bad 



Yours Foreiver 

 John Macy. 



For some days the Essex cruised about the islands without lift- 

 ing a sail, but on April 29th she began, in earnest, the series of 

 captures that was to destroy British commerce thereabouts. 

 At daylight the call, "Sail ho! Sail ho!" brought the captain 

 on deck, and at nine o'clock the Essex had taken the British 

 whaler Montezuma and her catch of 1,400 barrels of sperm oil. 

 She then pursued the British whalers Georgiana and Policy, 

 which had a start of about seven miles, and although the wind 

 failed at eleven o'clock, Porter sent out a force of boats in 

 command of Lieutenant Downes, which took both vessels in 

 the early afternoon. In the Georgiana, which had the reputa- 

 tion of being the swiftest of the prizes, they mounted, besides 

 her own six guns, ten guns from the Policy, and placed Lieuten- 

 ant Downes in command. 



The letters of marque Atlantic and Greenwich, next fell into 

 Porter's hands, then the Catherine and the Rose, vessels of eight 

 guns each, and the Hector, of eleven guns. 



