PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
251 
as it was, served to break in upon that irksome monotony, which, 
for the want of occupation and amusement, became to them insup¬ 
portable. 
The time was now arriving for me to expect lieutenant 
Downes ; I therefore determined to fill up my water and provi¬ 
sions from my prizes, and wait until the 2d day of next month, 
which was the period fixed for our departure. I had determined* 
should he not arrive in that time, to leave letters for him, and pro¬ 
ceed to either the Marquesas or Washington Islands, where I 
intended to clean my ship’s bottom, overhaul her rigging, and 
smoke her to kill the rats, as they had increased so fast as to be» 
come a most dreadful annoyance to us, by destroying our provi¬ 
sions, eating through our water-casks, thereby occasioning a great 
waste of our water, getting into the magazine and destroying oui 
cartridges, eating their way through every part of the ship, and 
occasioning considerable destruction of our provisions, clothing, 
flags, sails, See. Sec. It had become dangerous to have them any 
longer on board; and as it would become necessary to remove 
every thing from the ship before smoking her, and probably be 
necessary to heave her out to repair her copper, which in many 
places was coming off, I believed that a convenient harbour could 
be found among one of the groups of islands that would answer 
our purpose, as well as furnish the crew with such fresh provi¬ 
sions and vegetables as might be necessary during our stay there, 
and thus be enabled to save our salt provisions. 
The Sir Andrew Hammond having an abundant supply, I 
hauled her alongside, and took from her as much beef, pork, 
bread, water, wood, and other stores, as we required ; and what 
was more acceptable to our men than all the rest, I took from her 
two puncheons of choice Jamaica spirits, which was greatly relish¬ 
ed by them, as they had been without any ever since our depar¬ 
ture from Tumbez ; and whether it was the great strength of the 
rum, or the length of time they had been without, I cannot say; 
but our seamen were so much affected by the first allowance 
served out to them, that many were taken to their hammocks per¬ 
fectly drunk ; and indeed there was scarcely a seaman in the ship 
but wfiat was in some degree intoxicated. To prevent a recur- 
