PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
69 
therefore, proceed to annoy them, where we are least expected. 
What was never performed, by a single ship, we will attempt. 
The Pacific ocean affords us many friendly ports. The unprotect¬ 
ed British commerce, on the coast of Chili, Peru, and Mexico, 
will give you an abundant supply of wealth ; and the girls of the 
Sandwich islands, shall reward you for your sufferings during 
the passage around Cape Horn. 
(Signed) D. PORTER. 
February 3, 1813. 
I now made inquiries into the state of the purser’s slops, and 
found, to my regret, that we had but a small number of shoes ; 
and, as every man in the ship was in want of a pair, I determined 
not to issue any until we arrived in a more southern latitude, that 
I might be enabled to judge, who were most in want; I directed, 
however, one pair of woollen stockings to be issued to such as re¬ 
quired them. 
At about 2 P. M., to our great regret, the wind hauled around 
to the S.W., and there remained, and served as an additional les¬ 
son to us, how little dependence is to be placed in the appearance 
of the weather in this latitude. 
The whole of the 4th, the wind continued between S.W. and 
W. by S., with fresh gales; and from this time, until the 10th, 
the wind was variable, blowing fresh from every point of the com¬ 
pass, but prevailing most from the S.W.; occasionally blowing 
so hard, as to reduce us to our storm stay-sail, attended generally 
with a very disagreeable cross sea. In the course of this inter¬ 
val, little occurred worth notice on board, except the bursting of 
the rudder coat, which occasioned our shipping a great deal of 
water in the ward-room; and, as I saw no possibility of securing 
it at sea, determined me to make the first convenient port for the 
purpose of repairing this damage. In every other respect, we 
had got the ship prepared to meet the bad weather we had rea¬ 
son to expect, in doubling Cape Horn; and, with a view of keep¬ 
ing her from straining as much as possible, I got all our spare 
spars from the spar to the gun-deck, and struck down two long- 
twelve pounders from the forecastle. 
