i/n ihe Pacific Oam. 0^ 



prise, and had already captured the American whale-ship Ed- 

 ward, of Nantucket, and might have done great injury to the 

 American commerce in those seas. Although he had come into 

 the Pacific on a whaling voyage, he had given but little attention 

 to that object while there was a hope of meeting American 

 whalers. On requiring of this man that he should deliver to me 

 his commission, he, with the utmost terror in his countenance, in- 

 formed me that he had none with him, but was confident that his 

 owners had, before this period, taken out one for him, and he had 

 no doubt would send it to Lima, where he expected to receive it. 

 It was evident that he was a pirate, and I did not feel that it 

 would be proper to treat him as I had done other prisoners of 

 war. I therefore ordered him and all his crew in irons ; but af- 

 ter enquiring of the American prisoners, whom I found on board 

 the prize, as to the manner in which they had been treated by 

 the crew of the Seringapatam, and being satisfied that they, as 

 well as the mates, were not to blame for the conduct of their 

 commander, I liberated them from confinement, keeping Stavers 

 only in irons. 



I now bore up for James' Island, at which place I was anxious 

 to arrive, in order that I might, while at anchor, be enabled to 

 get from my prizes such articles as we might want, such as an- 

 chors and cables, with which they were well supplied. On ac- 

 count of the violence of the current, which was setting to the 

 north-west, our attempt was ineffectual ; for, notwithstanding 

 every exertion to prevent it, we were swept to the north-west as 

 far as the latitude of 2*^ 8' north, and seeing no hopes of succeed- 

 ing in a short time, I was determined to give the Charlton up to 

 the captain, (as she was an old vessel, and a dull sailer,) on con- 

 dition that he should land all my prisoners at Rio de Janeiro. 

 To this contract he, as well as the captain of the New Zealander, 

 bound themselves by oath ; and after taking from her a cable, 

 and such other articles as were necessary for us, and sending all 

 her guns and military equipments on board the Seringapatam, I 

 despatched her on the 19th, with forty-eight prisoners. The 

 mates and sailors, however, expressed their determination not to 

 go to Rio de Janeiro with the ship, for fear of being pressed on 

 board a British man of war. They were very solicitous that I 

 would allow them whale-boats, and let them take their chance in 

 them, declaring that any fate, however dreadful, would be pre- 

 ferable to a servitude in his Majesty ""s navy. To this I would 

 not consent, lest it might be supposed I had turned them adrift 

 in the middle of the Pacific. They then requested to remain 

 with the Essex. I did not wish to be encumbered by them, and 

 would not agree to this proposal. They, however, at length 

 grew turbulent, and I was apprehensive I should have to use 



