\^^r^ VOYAGE 



THE PACIFIC OCEAN, 



CHAPTER I. 



Passage from the Delaware to the Cape de Verd Islands, and 

 from thence to Cape Frio ; with Nautical Remarks. 



I RECEI VED orders, October 6, 1812, from commodore William 

 Bainbridge, to prepare the Essex for a long cruise ; and on the 

 day following, received his final instructions, appointing places of 

 rendezvous, and the next day a copy of his orders from the ho- 

 nourable secretary of the navy. " 



Having had favourable winds since our departure, we found 

 ourselves, on the 2d of November, in the latitude of S6^ T north ; 

 longitude, by dead reckoning, 58*^ 54' west ; but with a view of 

 getting into a latitude where we might expect more moderate 

 weather, as well as to cross the track of vessels bound from Eng- 

 land to Bermudas, and those from the West Indies to Europe, 

 stood to the south-east. 



On the 23d, we were honoured by a visit from the god of the 

 ocean, accompanied by Amphitrite and a numerous retinue of 

 imps, barbers, &c. &c., in his usual style of visiting, and in the 

 course of the afternoon, all the novices of the ship's company were 

 initiated into his mysteries. Neptune, however, and most of his 

 suite, paid their devotions so frequently to Bacchus, that before 

 the ceremony of christening was half gone through, their godships 

 were unable to stand ; the l3usiness was therefore entrusted to the 

 subordinate agents, who performed both the shaving and washing 

 with as little regard to tenderness, as his majesty would have 

 done. On the whole, however, they got through the business 

 with less disorder and more good humour than I expected ; and 

 although some were most unmercifully scraped, the only satisfac- 

 tion sought, was that of shaving others in their turn with new in- 

 vented tortures. 



26th. — At sun-rise, discovered the island of St. Nicholas; 

 shortly afterwards, spoke a Portuguese brig bound to St. An- 

 thony''s ; run down among the islands that day, and the next night 

 passed in sight of the isles of Sal and Bonavista. The first is high, 



Voyages and Travels, No. XLVII. Vol. VIII. b 



