150 



forter's journal. 



SAILORS AND MARINES, 



Fortune has at length smiled oil us, because we deserved 

 her smiles, and the first time she enabled us to display frtt 

 trade and sailors'' rights^ assisted by your good conduct, 

 she put in our possession near half a million of the enemy's 

 property. 



Continue to be zealous, enterprising, and patient, and 

 we will yet render the name of the Essex as terrible to the 

 enemy as that of any other vessel, before we return to the 

 United States. My plans shall be made known to you at a 

 suitable period. 



(Signed) D. PORTER. 



April 30, 1813. 



The possession of these vessels, besides the great satis* 

 faction it produced, was attended by another advantage of 

 no less importance, as it relieved all our wants except one, 

 to wit, the want of water. From them we obtained an 

 abundant supply of cordage, canvas, paints, tar, and every 

 other article necessary for the ship, of all of which she 

 stood in great need, as our slender stock brought from 

 America had now become worn out and useless. Besides 

 the articles necessary for the ship. We became supplied with 

 SI stock of provisions, of a quality and quantity that remo- 

 ved all apprehensions of our suffering for the want of them 

 for many months, as those vessels, when they sailed from 

 England, were provided with provisions and stores for up- 

 wards of three years, and had not yet consumed half their 

 stock. All were of the best quality ; and were it only for 

 the supplying our immediate wants, the prizes were of the 

 greatest importance to us. We found on board of them, al- 

 so, wherewith to furnish our crew with several delicious 

 meals. They had been in at James' Island, and had sup- 

 plied themselves abundantly with those extraordinary ani- 

 mals the tortoises of the Gallipagos, which propedy deserve 

 the name of the elephant tortoise. Many of them were of 

 a size to weigh upwards of three hundred weight ; and 

 nothing, perhaps, can be more disagreeable or clumsy 

 than they are in their external appearance. Their motion 

 resembles strongly that of the elephant ; their steps slow, 

 regular, and heavy ; they carry their body about a foot 

 from the ground, and their legs and feet bear no slight re» 



