212 
PORTER'S JOURNAL, 
be met by an American cruizer, his vessel would be taken from 
him. Afterdieutenant Downes had got clear of those two great 
encumbrances, the Rose and his prisoners, he proceeded for Turn- 
bez, where he arrived the day before us \ but not finding us there, 
proceeded to cruize off Cape Blanco for a few days, with an in? 
tention of looking into Tumbez occasionally. 
The Qeorgiana and her prizes anchored near us and our fleet 
now amounted to nine sail of ships; and as the Atlantic was far 
superior to the Georgiana, in size, appearance, sailing, and every 
other qualification necessary for a cruizer, I immediately gave 
orders for 20 guns to be mounted on her, and removed lieutenant 
Downes and crew to that ship, placing Mr. Adams in charge of 
the Georgiana. To the Atlantic I gave the name of the Essex 
Junior; and as I had received some additions to my crew by vo¬ 
lunteers from prizes, I was enabled to increase her crew to sixty 
men, and appointed midshipman Dashiel sailing-master of her« 
I also removed from the Greenwich to the other prizes all cum¬ 
brous articles, and converted that vessel into a store-ship, putting 
on board her, from the rest, all provisions, cordage, and other ar* 
tides of value to us, and mounted on her 20 guns, and by this 
means secured to us a supply of almost every article we should 
want for seven months. These changes, and the alterations ne¬ 
cessary to be made to fit the Essex Junior for a cruizer, as well 
as the wooding and watering of the Georgiana and prizes, proved 
likely to occasion some further delays ; every exertion was made 
to leave the place as soon as possible, and the absence of Mr 
Shaw seemed the only important obstacle ; at length, however, 
a boat arrived, and informed me he was on the point of leaving 
there, and explained the cause of his long detention, which was 
owing entirely to the avarice and indolence of the governor, who 
was desirous of monopolizing ail the trade, and too indolent to 
make any exertions to supply our wants. Mr. Shaw, at length, 
arrived, but was compelled to leave all the articles he had pur¬ 
chased in possession of the governor, as he could not procure a 
boat to bring them down, and as they were not of sufficient im¬ 
portance to induce me to run any farther risk, I determined to 
leave them there. 
