PORTER S JOURNAL. 



55 



went to endeavour to procure a quantity of jerked beef for 

 the use of the crew, having heard of the arrival cf a vessel 

 with a cargo. On my way I met a small vessel four days 

 from Rio Janeiro, and went on board to learn the news* 

 The captain informed me, that two days before he sailedj 

 an American corvette, mounting eleven guns of a side, bad 

 arrived there, a prize to the Montague ; she had bee a in 

 company with a large frigate, and was captured off the Al- 

 brothas shoal : the Montague was left in pursuit of the fri- 

 gate. He also informed me, that the day before he saiied, 

 a British frigate and two brigs of war had arrived from 

 England ; that two American schooners had been captured 

 and sent in there ; that a Portuguese brig of war had arri- 

 ved from the Cape of Good Hope, and brought intelli- 

 gence that a British sixty gun ship was to sail the day after 

 her for Rio Janeiro, and that several ships of war were daily 

 expected from England. He stated, also, that news had 

 been brought that the Americans had captured a convoy 

 of Indiamen ; and that a packet had been taken by them, 

 from Rio, with a great deal of specie on board. 



Feeling confident that the captured vessel w as the Hor- 

 net, and having strong apprehensions of being blockadedj 

 if not attacked by a superior force, in this port, knowing 

 the little respect the British have for the Portuguese, I de- 

 termined on getting to sea again with all possible expedi- 

 tion. I therefore returned to the ship, made a signal for 

 every person to repair on board, hove up, and dropped 

 down below the fort, where I anchored, to give the officers 

 an opportunity of getting, the clothes on boa.rd, which were 

 all on shore to wash. At eight o'clock at night, on the 

 SSth, got under way with the loss ®f one anchor, (the cable 

 parted,) and proceeded for sea, leaving on shore Joseph. 

 Hawley and Allan Jones, who absented themselves from 

 the boat. Previous to my departure, I gave permission 

 for five of my prisoners to proceed to Rio Janeiro, in a 

 small Portuguese schooner belonging to the king, that was 

 to sail next day, to wit : captain Charles Helt, John Hay- 

 wood, mate , John Martin, Jonas Walker, and Thos. Wai* 

 ley , seamen. During the night, Edward Sweeny departed 

 this life, and Samuel Gross unfortunately fell from the 

 main-yard, while loosening the mainsail, and in a few 

 hours ended his existence. His loss was much regretted 



