48 
PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
United States Frigate Essex, at s£a. 
Sir, December 29, 1812. 
I have the honour to inform you, that I have this evening 
captured the British schooner Elizabeth ; but finding her very 
leaky, and from that circumstance, as well as others, of which 
Mr. Clarke, the officer in charge of her, will give you informa* 
tion, I have found it necessary to send her to Rio Janeiro, and I 
beg, sir, that you will do in this case what you may deem most to 
the advantage of the United States. 
Excuse the haste with which I have been under the necessity 
of addressing you, and accept assurances of the highest respect 
and consideration. 
I have the honour to be your obedient servant, 
(Signed) DAVID PORTER, 
Thomas Sumfiter , Esq . American Minister 
at the Court of Brazils , Rio Janeiro . 
f 
I also gave him the two letters of Mr. Heywood to deliver, 
if the minister should consider it advisable to do so. I recom¬ 
mended to Mr. Clarke to put into one of the bye-ports along the 
coast, to examine into the state of the leaks, and endeavour to 
stop them without going to Rio. I then made all sail to the east¬ 
ward. 
On the morning of the 30th, discovered that our main top-mast 
trussel-trees were carried away, and we expected every moment 
that our top-mast, rigging, and top-gallant-mast, would come 
tumbling about our heads ; but in my anxiety to come up with the 
convoy, I determined that this accident should not compel me t© 
give up the pursuit: I therefore directed that the top-gallant-mast 
should be lashed aloft, and to favour the mast as much as possi¬ 
ble in carrying sail. The winds being to the westward, which 
enabled us to carry studding-sails on both sides, our rate of sail- m 
ing from 4 to 6 miles per hour, but against a heavy head sea, that 
strained our masts and rigging excessively, and occasioned our 
carrying away some of our light spars, which were soon replaced. 
On the meridian of this day, I supposed the convoy to be about 
35 miles to the eastward of us. Since the pursuit, I had regular* 
