PORTER S JOURNAL. 



199 



tor making saii, and on being asked if he intended to surren- 

 der, answered, No, no. Lieutenant Downes now opened 

 his fire on the enemy, and after firing five broadsides, which 

 killed two men and wounded six others dangerously, shot 

 away her main-topmast, and most of her standing and run- 

 ning rigging, and rendered the ship a wreck, she struck to 

 the Georgiana. After lieutenant Downes had put a 

 prize crew on board the Hector, his own crew amounted to 

 only ten in number, while his prisoners amounted to seventy 

 five. It became therefore necessary to get clear of them as 

 soon as possible ; and as the Rose proved to be a very dull 

 sailing vessel, and had occasioned him considerable delay, 

 he caused all her guns, and most of her cargo, which con- 

 sisted of spermaceti oil, to be thrown overboard, and gave 

 the ship up to her captain, on condition that he would pro° 

 ceed to St. Helena with all the prisoners, who entered into 

 an obligation not to gerve against the United States unless 

 regularly exchanged. He gave to the captam of the Rose 

 a passport for St. Helena, with an assurance, if he attempted 

 to go elsewhere, and should be met by an American crui- 

 ser, his vessel would be taken from him. After lieutenant 

 Downes had got clear of those two great encumbrances, 

 the Rose and his prisoners, he proceeded for Tumbez, 

 where he arrived the day before us ; but not finding us 

 there, proceeded to cruise olf Cape Bianco for a few days, 

 with an intention of looking into Tumbez occasionally. 



The Georgiana and her prizes aiichored near us, and our 

 fleet now amounted to nine sail of ships. As the Atlantic 

 was far superior to the Georgiana, in size, appearance, sail- 

 ing, and every other qualification necessary for a cruiser, I 

 immediately gave orders for twenty guns to be mounted on 

 her, and removed lieutenant Downes and crew to that ships 

 placing Mr. Adams in charge of the Georgiana. To the 

 Atlantic I gave the name of the Essex Junior ; and as I had 

 received some additions to my crew by volunteers from 

 prizes, I was enabled to increase her crew to sixty men, and 

 appointed midshipman Dashiel sailing-master of her. I 

 also removed from the Greenwich to the other prizes all 

 cumbrous articles, and converted that vessel into a store- 

 ship, putting on board her, from the rest, ail provisions, 

 cordage, and other articles of value to us, and mounted on 

 her twenty guns. By this means I secured to us a supply of al- 



