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PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
yards of her gangway, and directed them to surrender, the colours 
were hauled down. They now proceeded for the other vessel* 
after leaving an officer and some men on board, and as soon as 
she was hailed she followed the example of the first, by striking 
her colours. Shortly afterwards a breeze sprung up ; the prizes 
bore down for us, and we welcomed the safe return of our ship¬ 
mates with three hearty cheers. The captured vessels proved 
to be, as I had expected, the Georgiana, captain Pitts, of 280 
tons, and the Policy, of 275 tons ; and these three vessels, which 
we had taken with so little trouble, were estimated to be worth 
in England upwards of half a million of dollars. The ease with 
which the last vessels were taken by our open boats, gave us 
but a poor opinion of British valour ; and the satisfaction which the 
possession of these valuable vessels gave us, made us forget for a 
moment the hardships of Cape Horn, and the time we had spent 
without seeing an enemy ; and it aiso afforded us a useful lesson, 
as it convinced us we ought not to despair of success under any 
circumstances, however unfortunate they may appear ; and that, 
although the patient and persevering may for a time meet with 
disappointments, fortune will at length most commonly enable 
them to rise superior to every adversity. Slight murmurings had 
©n one or two occasions been heard from some of the crew, occa¬ 
sioned by our want of success heretofore, and with a view of pre¬ 
venting it in future, I considered it advisable to inculcate this 
maxim by the following note : 
SAILORS AND MARINES, 
Fortune has at length smiled on us, because we deserved her 
smiles, and the first time she enabled us to display free trade 
and sailors ’ rights , assisted by your good conduct, she put in our 
possession near half a million of the enemy’s property. 
Continue to be zealous, enterprizing, and patient, and we will 
yet render the name of the Essex as terrible to the enemy as that 
of any other vessel, before we return to the United States. My 
plans shall be made known to you at a suitable period 
(Signed) D. PORTER. 
April 30, 1813. 
