On the Ocean 15 



very difficult to explain in a man of his tried 

 courage. 



On March 27th Porter decided to run out of the 

 harbor on the first opportunity, so as to draw away 

 his two antagonists in chase, and let the Essex 

 \Junior escape. This plan had to be tried sooner than 

 was expected. The two vessels were always ready, 

 the Essex only having her proper complement of 

 255 men aboard. On the next day, the 28th, it 

 came on to blow from the south, when the Essex 

 parted her port cable and dragged the starboard 

 anchor to leeward, so she got under way and made 

 sail; by several trials it had been found that she 

 was faster than the Phoebe, and that the Cherub 

 was very slow indeed, so Porter had little anxiety 

 about his own ship, only fearing for his consort. 

 The British vessels were close in with the weather- 

 most point of the bay, but Porter thought he could 

 weather them, and hauled up for that purpose. 

 Just as he was rounding the outermost point, which, 

 if accomplished, would have secured his safety, a 

 heavy squall struck the Essex, and when she was 

 nearly gunwale under, the main-top-mast went by 

 the board. She now wore and stood in for the 

 harbor, but the wind had shifted, and on account 

 of her crippled condition she could not gain it; 

 so she bore up and anchored in a small bay, three 

 miles from Valparaiso, and half a mile from a 



