120 
PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
On examination of said ship, I found on board her, as prison¬ 
ers, the officers and crews of two vessels belonging to the United 
States of America, employed solely in the whale-fishery of those 
seas, captured by her, and sent for Lima, after being plundered of 
boats, cordage, provisions, clothing, and various other articles ; 
and was informed by her officers, that they were cruizing, as the 
allies of Great Britain, to capture and send in for adjudication all 
American vessels they should meet with, alleging, at the same 
time, that they had not your excellency’s authority for such pro¬ 
ceedings. 
I have, therefore, to preserve the good understanding which 
should ever exist between the government of the United States 
and the provinces of Spanish America, determined to prevent in 
future such vexatious and piratical conduct, and with this view 
have deprived the Nereyda of the means of doing the American 
commerce any farther injury for the present, and have sent her 
to Lima, in order that her commander may meet with such pun¬ 
ishment from your excellency as his offence may deserve. 
I have the honour to be, with the highest respect and consi¬ 
deration, your excellency’s obedient humble servant, 
(Signed) D. PORTER. 
Mis excellency the -viceroy of Peru , Lima. 
I then left the Nereyda, and looked into Tongue Bay ; but^ 
perceiving no vessels, I stood on for Coquimbo, and at sundown 
arrived within five miles of some small rocks, called the Chin- 
ques, which lay off the mouth of the bay. I then caused one of 
the whale-boats to be manned (both of which I had taken from 
the Nereyda, as they belonged to the captured ships), and sent 
her in with lieutenant Downes and captain West to reconnoitre the 
harbour, lying off and on with the ship until they returned, which 
was not until 11 o’clock that night. I had fixed on signals, by 
which lieutenant Downes was to inform me whether the ships 
were in the port, as well as such by which the boat could find 
the Essex: the latter were observed from the shore, for imme¬ 
diately after we had made them, several alarm guns were fired 
from the battery, which consisted, as I was informed, of six guns, 
