PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
187 
The Essex, mounting 46 guns, and 245 men, 
Georgiana 
16 do. 
42 do. 
Atlantic 
6 do. 
12 do. 
Greenwich 
10 do. 
14 do. 
Montezuma 
2 do. 
10 do. 
Policy 
10 do. 
Making in all, 
80 guns, 
333 men 
together with one midshipman and six men on board the Barclay. 
My prisoners amounted in number to 80 ; but as I had divided 
them among the different ships, giving them full allowance of 
provisions, on condition of their giving their assistance in work¬ 
ing, we found them as useful as our own men in navigating the 
prizes; so that our whole number, including the prisoners, 
amounted to 420, and all in good health, with the exception of 
some of the prisoners, who were slightly affected with the 
scurvy. 
The capture of those vessels, in consequence of the supply of 
water they afforded, induced me to change my intentions of going 
to the Island of Cocos for a stock ; as they were such prime sail¬ 
ers, I hoped that, by their taking in tow the Barclay and Policy, 
while I took care of the Montezuma, we should be enabled to get 
to windward of the islands, so as to fall in with the track of vessels 
bound from the continent to the Gallapagos, or, at all events, to 
reach Charles’ Island, where I hoped to join the Georgiana, or, if 
she should not have arrived there, to leave different instructions 
for her commander; and as we had been swept by the current, for 
the two last days, considerably to the southward, I believed we 
should be greatly assisted thereby, and succeed in executing my 
intentions without much difficulty. The dull-sailing vessels were 
therefore taken in tow, and every exertion made to get to wind¬ 
ward, with the hope of weathering the south point of Albemarle ; 
but although the wind favoured us on every tack, we found it im¬ 
possible to get around it, as the current, which (until we had 
brought it to bear east) had favoured us, now left us, and an adverse 
current, equally strong, rendered all our exertions to get to the 
southward ineffectual: nothing was left for us but to bear away, 
