rORTER'S JOURNAL, 



207 



ward, with a hope of getting beyond the ioHuence of the 

 current, and thus be enabled to reach the islands again. 



On the ^24th, I determined, for several reasons, to send 

 the Georgiana to the United States. In the first place, I 

 considered that, on her arrival on our coast, the season 

 would favour her getting in, as I calculated it would require 

 five months for her to reach it, which would bring it to the 

 dead of winter, and consequently at a time when ships of war 

 cannot cruise on the northern parts, on account of the pre- 

 valence of tempestuous weather. Secondly, the ship had a 

 full cargo of spermaceti oil, which would be worth in the 

 United States about one hundred thousand dollars, and 

 could not be sold on this coast without making great sacri- 

 fices. Thirdly, I was desirous of getting rid of Stavers : he 

 was a man of great cunning, and considerable observation, 

 and, however desirous I might be of conceahng my inten- 

 tions, 1 was apprehensive that some circumstances might 

 lead him to conjecture rightly as to my future views ; and 

 to put it entirely out of his power to obtain and give 

 such information as was calculated to benefit the enemy, 

 or frustrate my plans, I thought it adviseable (as I always 

 intended sending him to America for trial) to despatch him 

 in the Georgiana. Fourthly, repeated applications had 

 been made to me, by the officers, to overlook the offence 

 of heutenant W. ; and his activity and bravery on board 

 the Greenwich, during her action with the Seringapatam, 

 gave me a secret inclination to do so, without violating my 

 word, or incurring the imputation of inconsistency. To 

 reinstate him on board the Essex was entirely out of the 

 question ; but I saw no obstacle to giving him command of 

 the Georgiana to take to America ; an arrangement which 

 gave general satisfaction to every person, as I at the same 

 time liberated him from arrest, and withdrew the charges I 

 had intended to present against him. Fifthly, the period 

 was fast approaching when the times of many of my crew 

 were to expire. I was desirous of sounding them as to 

 their views on the occasion, and, with this object, I per- 

 mitted the crew of the Georgiana to be made up of those 

 whose period of enlistment would expire next month ; and 

 I had the great satisfaction to observe but little desire on 

 the part of any to return before the Essex. A crew, how- 

 ever, was made up for her, but composed by no means of 



