210 
PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
there is do licence from the government, and it is losing time to 
think of the same. The sooner you go olf the better. The bearer 
is at present en declarations en government. 
Please to excuse the few words and signing of 
Your humble servant 
And well-wisher. 
The bearer of this carries a few little articles of refreshment, 
and if they should wish for any little trade they are confident. 
I now directed all my watering and wooding parties to go 
armed, to be prepared for the worst that might happen, and deter¬ 
mined (if I should not hear from the purser next day) to go to 
Tumbez with a few armed boats, to know the cause of his detention. 
On the morning of the 24th, wc discovered three square-rig¬ 
ged vessels standing into the bay, and as they approached with ap¬ 
parent caution, many on board conjectured them to be enemies. 
I believed it to be lieutenant Downes in the Georgiana, with two 
prizes, but directed the Atlantic and Greenwich to be prepared to 
get under way in pursuit of them, if it should prove otherwise. 
They continued to approach to the distance of five or six miles of 
us, when the headmost vessel hove to, and shortly afterwards wc 
discovered a boat, which had left them for the purpose of recon- 
noitering us. I directed two of the fastest rowing boats to be pre¬ 
pared to pursue her; but on her nearer approach she showed the 
private signal of the Georgiana, and shortly afterwards lieutenant 
Downes came on board the Essex, where his arrival was greeted 
by our crew with three hearty cheers. 
He informed me that he had captured, near James’ Island, 
three British ships, to wit: 
The Hector of 11 guns, 25 men, 270 tons 
Catharine 3 29 270 
Rose 8 21 220 
The Catharine and Rose approached the Georgiana without 
the least suspicion of her being an enemy, and the captains of 
them did not find out their mistake until they got on board her. 
The Hector was discovered in the afternoon ; but lieutenant Downes 
did not succeed in getting alongside of her until late at-,night; and, 
