124 
PORTER’S JOURNAL, 
Atlantic for some months, or at least until I have time to do them 
much injury; for although information had been sent from Bue¬ 
nos Ayres to Valparaiso, giving information of my being on the 
coast of Brazils, and this information had reached Valparaiso two 
weeks before my arrival, yet they could not have had an idea of 
my intention of coming into this sea, as it was unknown to every 
person but myself, until after passing the river of Plate. The same 
mail that brought intelligence of my being on the coast of Brazils, 
also gave information of an action having been fought off Bahia 
betw een the American frigate Constitution, and the British frigate 
Java, of 44 guns, in which the latter was sunk; also of the capture 
of her convoy ; and of some small place on the coast of Africa hav¬ 
ing been laid under contribution by the squadron under the com¬ 
mand of commodore Rodgers. It was also stated, that the Wasp, 
an American sloop of war, had captured a British sloop of war, 
after a hard-fought action, but had afterwards been captured by 
a frigate; and that the Constitution was repairing her damages in 
St. Salvador, where the British admiral (Dixon) had proceeded, 
with a deter mination of destroying her. This news of the opera¬ 
tions of our little navy makes us pant for an opportunity of doing 
something ourselves. We have however a wide field for enterprize 
before us, and shall shortly enter on the scene of action; and ah. 
though, perhaps, we shall neither have an opportunity of laying 
towns under contribution, nor sinking frigates, still we hope to 
render a service to our country no less essential, to wit: the pro¬ 
tection of our commerce, and the destruction of that of the ene¬ 
my. 
On the 28th, I made all sail to the northward, and on the 3d 
April made the high land of Nasia, on the coast of Peru. The 
interval between these two periods was not marked by any extra¬ 
ordinary occurrence ; we were employed in taking all advantages 
of the winds in getting to the northward, and in disguising our 
ship, which was done by painting her in such a manner as to con¬ 
ceal her real force, and exhibiting in its stead the appearance of 
painted guns, Sec.; also by giving her the appearance of having 
a poop, and otherwise so altering her, as to give her completely 
the appearance of a Spanish merchant vessel. The winds were 
