in the Pacific Ocemi. 



'61 



Essex Junior, and Greenwich, in commemoration of the anniver- 

 sary of the independence of the United States ; and as we were 

 enabled to procure from the prizes a sufficient quantity of spirits 

 to issue to our crew, the day was spent in the utmost conviviahty, 

 their grog being doubly rehshed, from their having for some time 

 past been entirely destitute. 



On the 9th, having completed the equipments of the Essex 

 Junior, and their bemg no necessity for my remaining longer 

 with her, I directed Lieutenant Downes to proceed to Valparaiso 

 with the prize-ships Hector, Catherine, Policy, and Montezuma, 

 and the American ship Barclay. He had directions to leave the 

 Barclay there, and to sell the others to the best advantage, 

 leaving it discretionary with him whether to send the Policy to 

 the United States, she having a full cargo of spermaceti oil, which 

 cannot be sold on this coast without great loss. 



And now finding myself in the latitude of 15' south, and 

 nearly in the longitude of the Gallipagos, I parted company with 

 the Essex Junior and her convoy, and stood to the eastward, 

 until they were out of sight. I then shaped my course for the 

 Gallipagos Islands, which I was strongly induced to visit again, 

 as I had received intelligence of three English armed ships 

 having sailed from Tumbez a fortnight before my arrival there. 

 I kept with me the store-ship Greenwich and the Georgiana, 

 intending to send the latter to the United States on my arrival at 

 the islands, as she had her cargo of oil nearly complete, and the 

 season was now approaching which would be most proper to des- 

 patch her. I was desirous that she should approach our coast in 

 the dead of winter, as British ships of war could not at that 

 season of the year, keep the sea to bloqkade our northern ports. 



On the 12th, I made Charles' Island, hove to for the night. 

 In the morning I ran close in with Essex Bav, and sent the boat 

 on shore to the post-office. On her return was informed, that all 

 the papers had been taken from the box ; that some small kegs, 

 which had been left through neglect by our people, when last 

 there, had been taken away, as well as some wood we had left on 

 the beach. Fresh tortoise shells had been found, which con- 

 vinced us that some vessels had been there quite lately. 

 h I then bore up for Banks' Bay, and arrived at midniglit off the 

 south head of Albemarle, where I hove to, for the purpose of 

 giving the ground a good examination, and at day-light made all 

 sail to the northward. At eleven A. M. discovered three sail off 

 Banks' Bay, standing on a wind some distance from each otlier. 

 I gave chase to the one in the centre ; the others, which appeared 

 to be fine large ships, stood on different tacks, with a view of 

 eluding us, while the one I was in chase of bore up from us. I 

 felt apprehensive for the safety of my prizes, v/hich were now a 



