102 
PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
few scattering rocks, which lay at the distance of about a cable’s 
length from the shore. We had been running in with a good 
breeze, but it died away calm off the point, when we furled all 
sails, and put our drags into operation to get into the harbour; 
but in the mean time dispatched lieutenant Downes to inform the 
governor, that we were an American frigate, greatly in want of 
supplies of every kind, and that our wants were greatly augmen¬ 
ted by the loss of our store-ship off Cape Horn, and that we threw 
ourselves on their hospitality and generosity. I was induced to 
use this little artifice from a knowledge of the unaccommodating 
disposition of the Spaniards, and their jealousies respecting for¬ 
eign vessels that enter the ports of their American possessions 5 
and from the stand the United States had taken against the ag¬ 
gressions of Great Britain, as well as their conduct with respect 
to the Floridas, I had not reason to expect from them much ami¬ 
ty, and only hoped to extort from them, under the plea of distress, 
permission to take in a few provisions, and to fill our water; and 
indeed it was not without many restrictions that I hoped to obtain 
even this indulgence. Before 1 had got to an anchor, however, 
the captain of the port, accompanied by another officer, and lieu¬ 
tenant Downes, came on board in the governor’s barge, with an 
offer of every civility, assistance, and accommodation that Valpa¬ 
raiso could afford ; and, to my astonishment, I was informed that 
they had shaken off their allegiance to Spain; that the ports of 
Chili were open to all nations; that they looked up to the United 
States of America for example and protection; that our arrival 
would be considered the most joyful event, as their commerce had 
been much harassed by corsairs from Peru, sent out by the vice¬ 
roy of that province, to capture and send in for adjudication all 
American vessels destined for Chili, and that five of them had 
disappeared from before the port only a few days before my arri¬ 
val, and had captured several American whalers, and sent them 
for Lima. This unexpected state of affairs, as may naturally be 
supposed (considering our existing wants), was calculated to af¬ 
ford me the utmost pleasure, as it promised us a speedy depar¬ 
ture from Valparaiso. 
