118 



Porter's Voyage 



The prizesj Seringapatam, Sir Andrew Hammond, and Green- 

 wich, were safely moored under the fort, and placed under charge 

 of Lieutenant Gamble, of the marines, who, with Midshipman 

 Feltus and twenty-one men, volunteered to remain with them un- 

 til my return, or until they could receive further orders from me. 

 In my orders to Lieutenant Gamble, I exhorted him to pay every 

 regard to the most friendly intercourse with the natives, and to 

 endeavour to introduce among them the cultivation of seeds of 

 different kinds, which I left with him. My views in leaving him 

 with these vessels were to secure the means of repairing my ships 

 in case of an action on the coast. And to avoid his being un- 

 necessarily detained here, I gave him orders to leave the island in 

 five and a half months from the time of my departure, if he 

 should not hear of me before the expiration of that period. 



Shortly after leaving the port, a circumstance took place which 

 caused me much sorrow. The Otaheitan I had on board had re- 

 ceived a blow from the boatswain''s mate, the first probably which 

 he had ever received, as his gentle disposition, his activity, and 

 desire to give satisfaction, had endeared him to every person in 

 the ship. Tamaha was ever lively and cheerful, constantly at 

 work during working hours, and after the work was over, his 

 chief employment was in amusing the crew by dancing after the 

 manner of his own country, or in imitating the dancers, and the 

 exercise of ours ; he was with all a favourite. Tamaha could not 

 bear the shame of a blow ; he shed a torrent of tears, and de- 

 clared that no one should strike him again. We were about 

 twenty miles from the land, night was coming on, and it was- 

 blowing fresh with a considerable sea. Tamaha jumped over- 

 boad undiscovered, and was seen no more. Whether he took 

 with him an car, or small spar, to buoy himself up ; whether he 

 hoped to reach tlie shore ; or whether he determined to put an 

 end to his existence, I cannot pretend to say ; the distance, how-^ 

 ever, was so great, and the sea so rough, that I cannot entertain a 

 hope of his surviving. Ilis loss was greatly lamented by us all, 

 and liis melancholy fate caused a general dejection.* 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Events at Valparaiso, previous to the Capture of the Essex. 



On the Sd of February I anchored in the bay of Valparaiso^ 

 exchanged salutes with the battery, went on shore to pay my re- 

 spects to the Governor, and the next day received his visit under 



* He, however, reached the Island, after swimming and floating two nights 

 and a day. 



