PORTER S JOURNAL. 



give US was, that an embargo had been laid on AmeFicaii 

 vessels in the Brazils on the news of the war. 



On the 20th, in latitude 29° 33' north, and longitude 3!" 

 54' west, took the trade wind from the northeast, blowing 

 fresh in squalls, with some rain, of which we only succeedei 

 in catching about sixty gallons for the stock. 



22d, at day light in the morning, discovered a sail tee 

 windward, running down for us ; and being nearly in the 

 track of the homeward bound Indiamen, and outward 

 bound West-Indiamen, we calculated largely on a prize ; 

 but on speaking her she proved (to our great disappoint- 

 ment) a Portuguese, from Lisbon bound to New- York, la- 

 den with salt. 



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. &lc, in his usual style of visit- 

 ing, and in the course of the afternoon all the novices of the 

 ship's company were initiated into his mysteries. Nep- 

 tune, however, and most of his suite, paid their devotions so 

 irequently to Bacchus, tliat before the ceremony of christen- 

 ing was half gone through, their godships were unable ta 

 stand 5 the business was therefore entrusted to the subordi- 

 nate agents, who performed both the shaving and washing 

 with as little regard to tenderness as his majesty v/ould have, 

 done. On the whole, however, they got through the busi- 

 ness with less disorder and more good humour than I ex- 

 pected ; and although some were most unmercifully scra- 

 ped, the only satisfaction sought was that of shaving otheiB 

 in their turn with new invented tortures. 



24th, spoke a Portuguese ship from Madeira bound to St. 

 Bartholomews, the captain of which informed us, that an 

 English frigate, bound to the Cape of Good Hope, had 

 touched at Madeira, and brought intelligence of the war. 

 As we were under English colours, I of course affected 

 much surprise at the news, and questioned him accordingly, 



26th, at sunrise, discovered the island of St. Nicholas ; 

 shortly afterwards spoke a Portuguese brig bound to St<, 

 Anthony's ; run down among the islands that day, and the 

 next night passed in sight of the isles of Sal and Bona- 

 vista. The first is high, and may be known by a liill that 

 appears in form like a sugar loaf, on first making the island ; 

 the second has a lagged, irregular appearance. 



