218 
PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
licitous that I would allow them whale-boats, and let them take 
their chance in them, declaring that any fate, however dreadful, 
would be preferable to a servitude in his majesty’s navy. To this 
X would not consent, lest it might be supposed I had turned them 
adrift in the middle of the Pacific; they then requested to remain 
by the Essex; I did not wish to be encumbered by them, and, 
would not agree to this proposal. They, however, at length grew 
turbulent, and I was apprehensive I should have to use some co¬ 
ercive measures, in order to restore to the captains the necessary 
authority to keep them in order; but, after reasoning with them 
on the impropriety of their conduct, they became more orderly, 
and made sail to the southward, giving us at their departure three 
hearty cheers, and many (I believe sincere) good wishes for our 
success, and safe return to America. 
As the Seringapatam proved to be a fast-sailing ship, and was 
in every respect calculated for a man of war (and indeed was 
built for one, in India, for Tippoo Saib), X determined to render 
her as formidable as possible, that, in case of any accident hap¬ 
pening to the Essex (an event much to be dreaded in a navigation 
so little known to us), our cruize might not be entirely broken 
up. With this view X sent the gunners and carpenters to work 
on her, and in a few days she was completely equipped with 22 
guns mounted on her. I gave her in charge to Mr. Terry, mas¬ 
ter’s mate, with directions not to separate from us, and placed the 
New Zealander under the charge of Mr. Shaw, the purser, with 
similar instructions. 
We continued our ineffectual exertions to get to the S.E^, 
and on the 22d, discovered Wenam’s island, bearing S.S.E., and 
Culpepper’s island bearing W.N.W. I saw now that all at¬ 
tempts to get to James’ Island were useless, unless we should be 
favoured by a change of current; and at 2 o’clock, being but a 
short distance from Wenam’s island, I went with three boats 
from the Essex, and one from each of the other ships, and re¬ 
turned before sun-set with them all deeply loaded with fish, 
which afforded several fresh meals for our crew, and if we had 
been provided with salt, we should have been enabled to have 
