152 



PORTER'S JOURNAL. 



same place where thej had been thrown over, incapable oi 

 any exertion in that element, except that of stretching out 

 their long necks. 



I had merely placed a temporary crew on board the 

 prizes, but took the first opportunity to make a more per- 

 manent arrangement, putting midshipman Odenheimer in 

 charge of the Montezuma, and midshipman Cowan of the 

 Policy, giving them the necessary directions for clearing 

 their decks of the lumber of oil casks and other articles, 

 to bend all their light sails, and reave their running rigging, 

 which had all been unbent and unrove, as unnecessary 

 while fishing, and to preserve them from injury. I also 

 furnished them with the necessary signals, and appointed 

 the island of Plata, and the bay of Tumbez, as rendezvous 

 in case of separation, directing them to use the utmost eco- 

 nomy in the expenditure of their provisions, stores, and 

 water, ordering all hands to be put on the same allowance 

 as the crew of the Essex. 



On examining the Georgiana, I found her not only a noble 

 ship, but well calculated for a cruiser, as she sailed well, had 

 been built for the service of the British East-India Compa- 

 ny, and had been employed as a packet until this voyage. 

 I therefore determined to equip and arm her completely, 

 and mounted on her the ten guns of the Policy, making her 

 whole number now sixteen, to which were added two 

 swivels, and a number of heavy blunderbusses mounted on 

 swivels, as well as all the muskets, pistols, cutlasses, and 

 other military equipments we could find on board the othjsr 

 vessels. By these means rendering her as formidable, iri 

 point of armament, as any of the British letters of marque I 

 could hear of in this ocean. But this I did not undertake 

 until I was well satisfied she could be well manned without 

 reducing too much my own crew. A number of seamen 

 captured in the prizes had already prolTered their services 

 to us ; and on inquiry I found many of them to be Ameri- 

 cans. They volunteered their services in equipping the 

 Georgiana, and freeing her from much of the lumber on 

 board, consisting of empty casks and other cumbrous arti- 

 cles, which were sent on board the other prizes. The 

 heavy brick-work and large iron boilers used for trying out 

 the oil, were taken down, to give more room on her decks, 

 and ^relieve her from the great weight, which was found 



