PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
145 
stock of provisions, and if after a reasonable time you gain no in¬ 
telligence of me, you will please to act agreeable to your own 
discretion. 
While you cruize off Mocha, keep the island bearing about 
east, distant ten or twelve leagues, and it will be adviseable t© 
look occasionally into the harbour. 
With sentiments of respect, 
Your obedient servant, 
Signed, D. Porter. 
Jhieutenant John Dotvnes , commanding 
the U. S. armed firize-shifi, Essex Juni - 
or, Massachusetts Bay. 
On leaving Madison’s Island, I was enabled to pass between 
Hood’s Island and Dominica, and from the prevalence of N. W. 
winds, I on the 18th found myself in|jthe longitude of 131° west. 
I shall not fatigue the reader with an account of the uninter¬ 
esting passage of a month to the coast of Chili;—-the first land 
we made was the island of Mocha, ran down and anchored at St. 
Maries, where we filled our water-casks, looked into Conception, 
where we found only one English vessel, and thence proceeded t© 
cruise off Valparaiso. 
The public have been made acquainted with the manner of 
my capture, by means of my official letters, which, for the peru¬ 
sal of those who have not seen them, are here annexed. In this 
edition I shall say nothing as to the cause of the change of disposi¬ 
tion in the government of Chili towards us, I shall leave that for 
some future period, when my duties may be less pressing; my on¬ 
ly object now is to gratify the curiosity of the public, and what¬ 
ever imperfections they may discover in them, still I beg them t® 
recollect that it was written by one who has no pretentions what¬ 
ever to literary talents, he has only attempted to state facts in the 
plain language of a sailor; and it was not until he had been re¬ 
peatedly solicited by his friends that he would consent that his 
Journal should appear before the world. 
If the imperfections of this Journal, which no doubt are nu¬ 
merous, should be viewed liberally, the author will have no cause 
regret his complying with the public wishes, and should it in 
