ulous and fertile, abounding with the necessaries of life; the natives in the vicinity of the harbour which he had chosen received him in the most friendly manner, and supplied him with abundance of provisions. During his stay at this place he had several encounters with some hostile tribes on the island, whom he succeeded in reducing to subjection.

Having calked and completed overhaled the ship, made for her a new set of water casks, and taken on board from the prizes provisions and stores for upwards of four months, he sailed for the coast of Chili on the 12th December, 1813. Previous to sailing he secured the three prizes which had accompanied him, under the guns of a battery erected for their protection, and left them in charge of lieutenant Gamble of the marines and twenty-one men, with orders to proceed to Valparaiso, after a certain period.

After cruising on the coast of Chili without success, he proceeded to Valparaiso, in hopes of falling in with commodore Hillyar, or, if disappointed in this wish, of capturing some merchant ships said to be expected from England. While at anchor at this port, commodore Hillyar arrived, having long been searching in vain for the Essex, and almost despairing of ever meeting with her. Contrary to the expectations of captain Porter, however, commodore Hillyar, besides his own frigate, superior in itself to the Essex, was accompanied by the Cherub sloop of war, strongly armed and manned. These ships, having been sent out expressly to seek for the Essex, were in prime order and equipment, with picked crews, and hoisted

flags bearing the motto "God and country, British sailors' best rights: traitors offend both." This was in opposition to captain Porter's motto of "Free trade and sailors' rights," and the latter part of it suggested doubtless, by errour industriously cherished, that our crews are chiefly composed of English seamen. In reply to this motto captain Porter hoisted at his mizzen, "God, our country, and liberty: tyrants offend them." On entering the harbour the Phoebe fell foul of the Essex in such manner as to lay her at the mercy of captain Porter; out of respect, however, to the neutrality of the port, he did not take advantage of her exposed situation. This forbearance was afterwards acknowledged by commodore Hillyar, and he passed his word of honour to observe like conduct while they remained in port. • They continued therefore, while in harbour and on shore in the mutual exchange of courtesies and kind offices that should characterise the private intercourse between civilized and generous enemies. And the crews of the respective ships often mingled together and passed nautical jokes and pleasantries from one to the other.

On getting their provisions on board, the Phœbe and Cherub went off the port, where they cruised for six weeks, rigorously blockading captain Porter. Their united force amounted to eighty-one guns and five hundred men, in addition to which they took on board the crew of an English letter of marque lying in port. The force of the Essex consisted of but forty-six guns, all of which, excepting six long

twelves, were twenty-two pound carronades, only serviceable in close fighting. Her crew, having been much reduced by the manning of prizes, amounted to but two hundred and fifty-five men. The Essex junior being only intended as a storeship, mounted ten eighteen pound carronades and ten short sixes with a complement of only sixty men.

This vast superiority of force on the part of the enemy prevented all chance of encounter, on any thing like equal terms, unless by express covenant between the commanders. Captain Porter, therefore, endeavoured repeatedly to provoke a challenge (the inferiority of his frigate to the Phoebe not justifying him in making the challenge himself,) but without effect. He tried frequently also to bring the •Phoebe into single action; but this commodore Hillyar warily avoided, and always kept his ships so close together as to frustrate captain Porter's attempts.

Finding it impossible to bring the enemy to equal combat; and fearing the arrival of additional force, which he understood was on the way, captain Porter determined to put to sea the first opportunity that should present. A rendezvous was accordingly appointed for the Essex junior, and having ascertained by repeated trials that the Essex was a superior sailer to either of the blockading ships, it was agreed that she should let the enemy chase her off; thereby giving the Essex junior an opportunity of escaping.

On the next day, the 28th of March, the wind came on to blow fresh from the southward, and the Essex parted her larboard cable and dragged her

starboara anchor directly out to sea.

Not a moment

but perceiving

was lost in getting sail on the ship; that the enemy was close in with the point forming the west side of the bay, and that there was a possibility of passing to windward, and escaping to sea by superior sailing, captain Porter resolved to hazard the attempt. He accordingly took in his topgallant-sails and braced up for the purpose, but most unfortunately on rounding the point a heavy squall struck the ship and carried away her main-top-mast, precipitating the men who were aloft into the sea, who were drowned. Both ships now gave chase, and the crippled state of his ship left captain Porter no alternative but to endeavour to regain the port. Finding it imposible to get back to the common anchorage, he ran close into a small bay about three quarters of a mile to leeward of the battery, on the east of the harbour, and let go his anchor within pistol shot of the shore. Supposing the enemy would, as formerly, respect the neutrality of the place, he considered himself secure, and thought only of repairing the damages he had sustained. The wary and menacing approach of the hostile ships, however, displaying their motto flags and having jacks at all their masts' heads, soon showed him the real danger of his situation. With all possible despatch he got his ship ready for action, and endeavoured to get a spring on his cable, but had not succeeded, when, at fiftyfour minutes past three P. M. the enemy commenced an attack.

At first the Phoebe lay herself under his stern and the Cherub on his starboard bow; but the latter soon finding herself exposed to a hot fire, bore up and ran under his stern also, where both ships kept up a severe and raking fire. Captain Porter succeeded three different times in getting springs on his cables, for the purpose of bringing his broadside to bear on the enemy, but they were as often shot away by the excessive fire to which he was exposed. He was obliged, therefore, to rely for defence against this tremendous attack merely on three long twelve pounders, which he had ran out of the stern ports; and which were worked with such bravery and skill, as in half an hour to do great injury to both the enemy's ships, and induce them to hale off and repair damages. It was evidently the intention of commodore Hillyar to risk nothing from the daring courage of his antagonist, but to take the Essex at as cheap a rate as possible. All his manoeuvres were deliberate and wary; he saw his antagonist completely at his mercy, and prepared to cut him up in the safest and surest manner. In the mean time the situation of the Essex was galling and provoking in the extreme; crippled and shattered, with many killed and wounded, she lay awaiting the convenience of the enemy, to renew the scene of slaughter, with scarce a hope of escape or revenge. Her brave crew, however, in place of being disheartened, were aroused to desperation, and by hoisting ensigns in their rigging, and jacks in different parts of the ship, evinced their defiance and determination to hold out to the last