188 
PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
and endeavour to get around to the northward of the islands; and 
during the calms which succeeded the light and variable winds we 
had for the three last days experienced, I took the opportunity of 
getting an anchor and cable, and three thousand five hundred gal¬ 
lons of water, from the Atlantic and Greenwich, as well as a sup¬ 
ply of tortoises, and such other articles as we stood immediately in 
want of. 
The Greenwich proved to be the vessel that had been seen by 
Mr. Adams, and the Atlantic the one that had taken from Charles’ 
Island the barrel of water and bread, which the captain informed 
me was done with a view of preventing his men from deserting, a 
circumstance which he greatly apprehended, while they could be 
certain of finding a supply of those articles on the island. 
It seems somewhat extraordinary, that British seamen should 
carry with them this propensity to desert even into merchant ves¬ 
sels, sailing under the flag of their nation, and under circumstan¬ 
ces so terrifying ; but yet I am informed, that their desertion while 
at Charles’ Island has been very common, even when there was no 
prospect whatever of obtaining water but from the bowels of the 
tortoises. This can only be attributed to that tyranny, so prevalent 
on board their ships of war, which has crept into their merchant 
vessels, and is there aped by their commanders. Now mark the 
difference. While the Essex lay at Charles’ Island, one-fourth of 
her crew was every day on shore, and all the prisoners who chose 
to go ; and I even lent the latter boats, whenever they wished it, 
to go for their amusement to the other side of the island. No 
one attempted to desert or to make their escape ; whenever a gun 
was fired,* every man repaired to the beach, and no one was ever 
missing when the signal was made. 
On the 6th June, we were abreast the Island of Narborough, 
and in the afternoon saw a thick column of smoke, rising rapidly 
as from its centre, ascending to a great height in the air, where it 
spread off in large white curls, and presented us a grand and ma¬ 
jestic spectacle. We soon discovered that one of the numerous 
volcanoes had burst forth; but there were various opinions as to 
its situation : some supposed it to be on Narborough, others to 
the east of Narborough, and on the Island of Albemarle. I was 
