Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-07-19
WASHINGTON CITY, July Is.

WASHINGTON CITY, July Is.
Conn of a latter from cahfain Porter,
70 rae Seeretdry Of the Navy. q.
Essex Junior, July Sd, 1919, at Sea.
SIR,
have doue myselfthc honor to ad.
dress YOU, repeatedly, since ] Left the
Delaware but have scarcely hope
that one of nv letters has reached you
therefore, consider 1t necessary to give
YOU a brief history of my proceedings
since that period,
] sailed from the Delaware on tho
a7,b Of October, 1919. and repaired,
with all diligence, (agreeably to instruc-
tions from Con. Bainbridge,) to Port
p,aya, Fernando de Noronbo. and Cape
Frio add arrived at each place on the
dav appointed 10 meet him. On nay
passage from Port P,aya to Fernando
de Nofonha, / captured his Britannia
Maies,y's packet Nockton; aud atte'
,.kiae out about II ,Oo0i sterling IN sPe.
che, sent her under command of Lieu
Pinch. for America. I cruized OF Rio
de Jepeiro, and about cape Frio, until
the 18th January, 1913, hearing ire
ouently Of the Commodore, by 'essels
from Bah,s. Sere captured bur one
schs. With hides and tallow; sent her
into Ri. The Montague, the admir- rs
ship being in pu soil of me, nv -oSi-
sioDs now getting short, and hnding 1t
necessary to look out Tor supply, to
enable ne to meet the Commodore by
the is,, of April, off 81 Helena, pro-
ceeSed 10 the islsnd of ST. Catharines,
SIhe last place of rendezvous on the coast
Of Bcazil.) as the most likely to supply
INV waAt., and, at the same ,iHse, afford
me that secrecy necessary to enable me
10 elude the British ships OF war on the
coast, and expected there, here could
procure only wood. water, and rum d
a few bags Of -four; and hearing OF the
Commodore. action with the Java the
capture OF the Hornet by the Montague,
and of considerable augmentation oil
the British force on the coast, and OF sc
ysrsl being in pursuit Of me, found IL
necessary to get to sea as soon a. posi-
bic. now, agreeably 10 the commo-
dore's plan, stretched to the southssrd,
securing the coast as tar as Rio de Ia
Pl, ia. ] heard that Busnos Ayres was
in state of starvation and cosld not sup
ply our wants /; and THAI the government
Of Menteviedo vas very inimical to Us.
Pr L. -
II co npletsly discretionary with me
what course to pursue, and / determine
ed on folio wing that which had not on
ly met his APPRECIATION, but the aPprooa.
ton of the then Secretary oil the Navy.
I accordingly shaped my course Tor the
Pacific and after suffering greatly from
.hor, allowance of provisions, add heavy
gales OF Cape Horn, (ior which my ship
and men we're lily provided q rived at
yalvaraiso on the iSlh March, 1913. |
here tools in as much jerked beef and
other provisions, as my ship would con-
Sepicntly stow, and ran down the coast
,of Chill and Peru; in this track | fell in
with a Peruvian oOTsair, which bad on
beard twenty four Americans as prison.
er..rbe crews Of two whale ships. which
she had taken on the coast Of Chilli. The
CAPTAIN informed me that, as the allies
of Great Britain, they would capture all
they should meet with, in expectation
OF a war between Spain aud the United
States. / consequently threw all his
gan. and ammunition into the sea, libe-
rated the Americans, wrote respectful
letter TO the Vice Roy, explaining the
cause of my proceedings, which deli.
xered to her captain. then proceeded
for Lima, and re-captured one OF the
vessels as she was entering the port.
From thence proceeded for the Gala
naeos Islands, where I cruissd from the
nth April, until the Sd October, 1919;
during which time I touched only once
on the coast of America, which was for
the purpose of procuring q supply OF
fresh water, az none is to be found a.
.nonp these islands, whics are perhaps
the most barren and deselate of any
known.
While amops this group, l captured
the following British ships, employed
chiefly in the spermaceti whale fishery.
viz.
Letters Of IMarqse.
tons. men. guns. pierced
for