With Porter in the Essex

It seemed strange to me that the enemy ceased firing at the moment we began the advance in proper fashion. We could see that on board the nearest ship they were training their guns on us, and expected each instant one of our craft would be struck, yet not a piece was discharged.

Nearer and nearer we approached, until it was possible to see distinctly every person on deck; but still the guns remained silent.

I hardly dared to breathe, nor would I look at Phil lest he should read in my eyes the fear that was in my heart.

We were come within fifty yards; every gun on the port side was trained upon us, and the officers on the quarter stood as if on the point of giving the order to open fire.

I shut my eyes, for it seemed certain that the battle could not longer be delayed, and to my mind there was little chance any of our boats would survive the first broadside.

The rousing cheers of the men startled me into opening my eyes again, and for an instant I could not understand the meaning of the shouts; but Phil soon enlightened me as he exclaimed in a tone of most intense relief: —

"They've struck their colors! They've struck their colors!"

It was indeed a fact, and our boat's crew scrambled on board, we two lads following in silent amazement, hardly conscious of what we were doing until Lieutenant Downes began calling off the names of those who would remain on board as prize crew.

We had captured the Georgiana, a British whaler which had originally been built for the East India Company's service, and was credited with being a fast sailer. She was pierced for eighteen guns, but had only six mounted when we took possession of her.

After the crew had been sent below, the hatches closed, and the officers were imprisoned in the cabin, Lieutenant Downes called away such of our men as had been selected to man the prize, and off we went to try conclusions with the second craft.

By this time Phil and I were quite brave; we had come to understand that danger cannot be lessened by fear, and were disposed to believe that the British whalers were not such fighters as had been supposed.

Our small fleet dashed on toward the second ship in the same order as when we came upon the Georgiana, and the same peaceful capture was ours. All the ship's crew were at the guns, yet they hauled down their colors when we were close upon them, and the Essex had taken three prizes in one day.

This last ship proved to be the Policy, a whaler, pierced for eighteen guns and having ten mounted.

How our men cheered when we were on board the third prize without so much as a scratch! It was something to boast of, this taking three fine ships in one day, and again did it appear as if the "luck of the Essex" was an established fact.

Lieutenant Downes did not think it necessary to pull back to the frigate now that the work was finished and there did not appear to be anything of importance on hand. The crews were set about this trifling duty or that, and we waited until sunset for a wind, when the prizes were sailed down to where the flagship lay close alongside the Barclay and the Montezuma.

It was a veritable fleet which Captain Porter now had under his command, and the only drawback was the number of prisoners we were forced to look after; but that was a trifling matter when one considered it as the only cost of four fine ships.

Master Hackett thought it proper to compliment Phil and me on our manliness in applying for permission to go with Lieutenant Downes at a time when it seemed positive there was hot work ahead, and I felt much as though I was acting a lie when I remained silent while the old man was bestowing so much praise upon us.

If he had known all that was in our hearts as we were pulling toward the whalers, I question if he would so much as have spoken to us again.

Now we two, Phil and I, began to ask ourselves if we were regularly drafted to Mr. Downes's fleet, or whether we had been taken for that one cruise only; and, ashamed though I should be to confess it, there was a great hope in my heart that in the future we would be forced to remain on board the Essex when there was any more cutting out to be done.

Before another day had come to an end we of the gun-deck learned, through one of the marines, as a matter of course, that Captain Porter had decided to equip the Georgiana as a cruiser, with Lieutenant Downes as commander. By so doing he would have an able assistant in searching for the enemy, and also a consort on which the crew of the Essex might find refuge in case of any serious injury to the frigate.

And now it was that, remaining at sea as if we were in dock, the work of making the fleet ready for service was begun; and the old shellbacks insisted that by so doing we were adding to the marvellous achievements of our ship. She had sailed halfway around the world, depending upon the enemy for supplies, going where there could be no possibility of receiving assistance in case she was overtaken by disaster, – which was something that had never been attempted before, – and now we were to eclipse even that feat by remodelling the enemy's merchantmen into war vessels while in mid-ocean, using for the purpose supplies we had just captured.

If ever there was a case of living on the enemy, ours surely was this situation.

From this day until the difficult task had been performed every man and boy was kept busy from early dawn until darkness rendered it difficult to see what we were about; and in this general furbishing our own ship was not neglected. The rigging of the Essex was overhauled and tarred; strained spars were replaced by new ones, and the frigate was given a complete coat of paint.

The Georgiana was transformed by the taking down of her try-work, which had been used for getting oil from the blubber of whales, and all the small arms from the other prizes were sent on board. She was given her full complement of guns, those from the Policy being transshipped, and on the 18th day of May Lieutenant Commandant Downes hoisted the American pennant on board the Georgiana, 16, firing a salute of seventeen guns, all of which were answered by the Essex, while the remaining prizes made as much noise as was possible.

We had a great celebration that day when a new ship was added to the United States Navy, and the cooks did their share toward it by filling our duff so full of plums that one could almost believe he was eating a regular, home-made pudding.

The manning of our prizes cost us so many of our crew that after all the ships were in sailing trim we had on board the Essex only two hundred and sixty-four, including officers, a small number, as Master Hackett declared, to handle the frigate in case we found ourselves in action, – an event which seemed only too probable when it should be known in England what mischief we were working among the whalers.

Our new man-of-war was given a fair trial to prove whether she was as good a sailer as had been believed, and we soon learned that the Britishers were decidedly at fault regarding her. She could not hold her own with the Essex even under the most favorable circumstances; but yet she was by no means a tub, and might be of great service before falling in with an enemy sufficiently heavy to send her to the bottom.

Four days after being put into commission the Georgiana set off on an independent cruise, and we hung around Charles's Island until the 28th of May before sighting another sail.

Then one hove in sight dead ahead, and, success having made us confident, we piled on the canvas, believing she was the same as ours already.

Our three prizes, with good working crews, were close aboard us at the moment the stranger was sighted, and away we dashed in the finest style, ready to meet anything from a line-of-battle ship to a couple of frigates.

The chase was begun late in the afternoon, and we held on all night, keeping her well in sight, and heaving in view another sail of which we took no notice, save to send a couple of boats after her, for the bird which we had almost in our hand was worth any two well down on the horizon.

The stranger was a big ship, and sailed well; but she could not hold her own with the Essex, and by nine o'clock next morning we were alongside with the crew at quarters.

We believed of a verity that this fellow would fight, since he had ten ports on a side, and once more did I feel too nervous for comfort; but no sooner were we in a position to open the battle than she surrendered, and we were in possession of the British whaler Atlantic, of three hundred and fifty-five tons burden, carrying twenty-four men. She had eight eighteen-pounders mounted, and might have held us in check long enough to show that English sailors are the gluttons at fighting which they claim to be.

No sooner had we thrown a prize crew on board, and seen to it that the Britishers were secured where they couldn't make any trouble for our men, than the Essex was put about in chase of the sail we had sighted during the night, our consorts following a long distance in our wake, unable to keep the pace we were setting.

We came up with the chase about noon, and then were becalmed within two miles of her.

She appeared to be heavily armed, and we were short-handed in consequence of having distributed so many men among the prizes taken thus far, as well as sending out the two boats, which had probably been picked up by some of our fleet before this time.

To equip the fleet of small boats would require nearly every man and boy on board, leaving no one to handle the frigate in case the wind sprang up, and as we noted this fact – I mean as the old shellbacks discussed it – Master Hackett said to me with a long-drawn sigh of relief: —

"It's the luck of the Essex to find Britishers so plentiful; but this time she's got more'n a mouthful, an' that fellow yonder is like to give us the slip unless our slow-movin' prizes work up this way before the wind rises."

"Do you mean, Master Hackett, that we can't make any effort at capturing her?" I asked in surprise.

"Look about an' see if that ain't the size of it. Do you reckon Captain Porter would strip his own ship, leavin' her helpless in case this 'ere calm ended with a squall?"

It surely did not seem possible our commander would do anything of the kind, and my heart was heavy as I gazed at the Britisher lying so near at hand and we unable to so much as come up with her.

Before our crew had much time for discussion we were startled, and some of the oldest hands almost frightened, by being called to man the boats; and our surprise may be imagined when we learned that every craft was to be sent off.

I saw the old shellbacks looking at each other furtively, exchanging odd glances and shrugging their shoulders as much as to say that Captain Porter must have taken leave of his senses; but into the boats they went, and all hands followed until there were none left aboard the frigate except the captain himself, the chaplain, the captain's clerk, and the boatswain.

Four men only to look after the Essex in case of sudden danger, or in event of our being forced to surrender! It surely seemed as if we were gazing upon the frigate for the last time, when the boats were pulled away, and I heard Master Hackett mutter to the man nearest him: —

"Take your good-by squint at the old hooker, matey, for I'm reckonin' there's many a chance you'll never see her again. I'm willin' to admit that a man-o'-warsman is bound to run many a risk; but this 'ere beats anything I ever saw or heard of before."

And from the expression on the faces of all I understood that to a man the crew believed we were going far beyond our duty, – which fact, as may well be imagined, was not calculated to make me very comfortable in mind. There were an hundred things likely to happen that would leave us without a ship, and it was by no means even chances that we could gain a foothold on the deck of the stranger. Surely, the day must come when we should find a Britisher who would fight, even though he was no more than a whaler, and this might be the day.

Looking back I could see Captain Porter pacing the quarter-deck, and I wondered if he believed himself fully justified in thus leaving the frigate to the mercy of the sea and weather when we might not succeed in our errand.

However, it was not for a lad like me to speculate as to whether the captain was going beyond duty and reason. I was a member of the boat's crew, and as such must do my utmost to make of the expedition a success, regardless of what threatened the Essex.

CHAPTER VI

A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

Our fears as to what fate might overtake the Essex while we were away and she had only four men to care for her, were forgotten in a great measure as we neared the Britisher.

Probably the question in the minds of all was as to whether the stranger would show fight. I know it fully occupied my thoughts; but, greatly to my surprise, I was not very much afraid of what might happen. Perhaps because there were so many things to think about, I gave less heed to the enemy than I would have done under other circumstances.

There is no good reason why I should spin out this portion of the yarn any longer than is absolutely necessary, more especially since there is so much of later happening and greater importance to be set down.

It is enough to say that we approached the enemy in proper fashion, ready for any kind of a scrimmage, and instead of firing a gun he hauled down his colors as the others had done. Cowardly though I was, it disappointed me because these Britishers submitted so tamely.

We now had, as the second prize of the day, the letter of marque ship Greenwich, three hundred and thirty-eight tons burden, carrying ten guns and a crew of twenty-five men.

Captain Porter had taken many chances in sending us all away at the same time, yet by doing so he had gained another prize which, had she been left at liberty, might have worked serious mischief to our merchantmen.

It can readily be supposed that we did not lose any time in getting back to the frigate. Men enough to take care of the prisoners and work the prize were left on board, and the remainder of us pulled to the Essex at full speed, feeling, when we went on deck once more, as if the old ship had escaped some deadly peril.

By the time the remainder of our fleet came up, bringing with them the two boats we had sent out during the night, the Essex was lying alongside two fine prizes which had not cost us a single charge of powder.

We now had four prizes, in addition to the Barclay, and I was arguing with Phil as to how it would be possible to care for them all, and at the same time take any more, when Master Hackett joined us.

"I reckon you lads think the old Essex has got about as much as she can stagger under, eh?" he began; and I repeated to him what Phil and I had been saying.

"I allow we've got a good big job on our hands, lads," the old man said, speaking thoughtfully, as if weighing well every word, "an' now's come the time when Captain Porter is bound to make port. We're feedin' a crowd of men, an' can't do any great amount of work with so many craft to look after."

"Will we go to Valparaiso?" Phil asked, thinking of Benson.

"It's beyond an old shellback like me to say, lad; but if I was the captain of this 'ere frigate, I'd think twice before I poked my nose into that port the second time."

"Why? They treated us well before."

"Ay, an' that's why I'd keep my weather-eye liftin' while we're in these waters. England is a strong nation, an' these 'ere young republics won't dare hold out against her commands very long. There'll be a big lot of kickin' in Great Britain when word is sent there of what we've been doin', an' you'll find that she'll shut every port on the Pacific against us."

I did not fully understand all Master Hackett said; but no particular harm was done because of my ignorance, since it matters little whether a boy aboard ship knows the whys and wherefores of everything.

However, there must have been good reasoning in the old man's words, since Captain Porter did exactly that which Master Hackett would have advised.

When prize crews were on board all our captured ships we were so short of hands that Lieutenant Gamble of the marines was given charge of the Greenwich, because we had no naval officer to put in command, and the entire fleet was gotten under way without unnecessary delay.

None of us on the gun-deck knew for what port we were bound, until the 19th of June, when we ran into the harbor of Tumbez, and came to anchor.

Why it was, none of our old sea lawyers could determine satisfactorily; but not one of the crew was given shore liberty. There was no unusual amount of work to be done on the ships, yet we were kept aboard as close as if there was danger some of us might desert.

The captain went on shore every day to bargain for provisions to be paid for with the money we captured from the Nocton, and boatloads of stores were put aboard this ship or that; therefore it was certain the inhabitants were friendly, or would be so long as our cash lasted.

There was no little amount of grumbling because we were kept so snug; but as a matter of course none of the hard words were spoken where they might be overheard by the officers, therefore nothing came of it.

Five days after we let go our ground tackle three sail were seen standing into the bay, and we were summoned to get the frigate under way, but the order was countermanded when those on the foremost ship lowered a boat as if to come ashore.

Captain Porter waited to learn who the visitors were, and soon we had the great satisfaction of seeing Lieutenant Downes in the stern-sheets of the boat, although it puzzled us not a little as to why he had returned thus soon.

Of course the lieutenant came on board the Essex, as did those who had manned his boat, and we of the gun-deck heard the whole story of the Georgiana's adventures while Mr. Downes was having his confab in the cabin.

And what a story it was! We cheered and yelled as our old shipmates spun it off, and nearly went wild with rejoicing.

Here is the yarn boiled down, and that it was true we knew full well, for yonder were the prizes coming to close under the Georgiana stern.

It seems that after leaving us Lieutenant Downes cruised off James's Island, where he fell in with two Britishers. Hoisting the English colors, he soon had the captains of the whalers sitting comfortably in his cabin, and then he told them who he was. Well, the prizes were taken without resistance, as a matter of course, and the United States entered into possession, less what prize money would be coming to us, of the ship Catherine of two hundred and seventy tons burden, carrying eight guns and twenty-nine men, and the Rose, two hundred and twenty tons, eight guns and twenty-one men.

After manning these prizes, Lieutenant Downes had only twenty as a crew all told, and yet that fact did not prevent him from giving chase next day to the whaler Hector, a ship of two hundred and seventy tons, twenty-five men, and carrying eleven guns, although she was pierced for twenty.

This last craft was a Britisher who stood ready to fight, and when Mr. Downes understood that he had an action on his hands, with hardly men enough to work his ship, he put the prisoners in irons so that they might not be able to lend a hand to their countrymen.

When the Hector was ordered to surrender she refused, and Mr. Downes let her have a broadside which brought down her main-topmast. The crew had good pluck, however, and fought their ship until nearly all her standing and running rigging was shot away, when they could do no less than haul down their colors. The Britishers had two men killed and six wounded.

After putting a prize crew on board this last capture, Lieutenant Downes had but ten men left in the Georgiana, and, including the wounded, he held seventy-three prisoners. Now it seems that the Rose was an old tub of a ship which it wouldn't pay to bring into port under the circumstances; therefore he threw her guns overboard, and filled her with the prisoners, on condition that they head direct for St. Helena.

When that had been done he steered for Tumbez, for it appears that he and Captain Porter had agreed to go there when it was necessary to make a port.

Now our fleet consisted of nine sail, and it began to look as if we might take possession of every port in the Pacific Ocean, if we were so minded. The beauty of it was that all our ships and ammunition had come from the Britishers, which was surely an economical way of carrying on a war.

Even Phil and I were puffed up with pride because of what had been accomplished, and we crowed as loud as any man on the gun-deck when we went over and over again the "luck of the Essex."

We soon learned that the fleet was not yet to the captain's liking, and on the morning after the arrival of Mr. Downes our people set about making a change.

The Atlantic, which, as you will remember, we captured just before running for Tumbez, was an hundred tons larger than the Georgiana, and had shown herself to be a better sailer, as well as possessing superior qualifications for a cruiser; therefore Mr. Downes and his crew were transferred to her. Twenty guns were mounted in this new sloop of war, and she was manned by sixty men. Her name was changed to Essex Junior, and a right trim little ship she was, I can assure you.

The Greenwich we made over into a store-ship, and all the spare stores of the other vessels were put into her. She was armed with twenty guns, but had no more of a crew than was absolutely necessary to work her; therefore we could not count that she would do much in the way of making prizes.

The carpenters were yet busily at work on the Essex Junior when we left port; but we had become accustomed to fitting at sea, therefore a little thing like that did not disturb the most nervous.

A brave show we made as we passed out of the harbor with the stars and stripes floating in the breeze, and I would have given half my share of prize money if the people at home could have seen us, and known how this squadron had been gotten together.

We were yet at sea on the Fourth of July, and then was held a Yankee celebration which must have astonished the mermaids. Every ship fired a salute, and, what pleased us most, did it with powder we had taken from the Britishers. We had plum duff till we could eat no more, to say nothing of roast pig, vegetables, and other such cabin stores as tickle the appetite.

Phil and I had by this time come to believe we were quite brave, and counted on the moment when in action we should do that which would cause Captain Porter to praise us from the quarter-deck in the presence of all the ship's company.

On the 9th of July the Essex Junior was in good sailing trim, and the fleet was hove to in order to part company with the new sloop of war. Our commander had decided to send the prizes, Hector, Catherine, Policy, and Montezuma, as well as the recaptured ship Barclay, into Valparaiso, and Commandant Downes was to take charge of the matter.

We parted company about noon, the frigate, with the Greenwich and Georgiana, remaining hove to until the Essex Junior and her convoy were hull down in the distance, after which we squared away for a cruise among the Gallipagos, so the marines who had stood guard in the cabin reported; but we knew that between where we then were and the islands in question was a good chance of taking more prizes, and, because of the "luck of the Essex," reckoned on adding to our list of captures before arriving at this new cruising ground.

We counted on having our average good fortune; but never dreamed, confident though we were, of the success which was so soon to be ours.

Four days after we parted company with our prizes and the Essex Junior, that is to say, on the 13th day of July, the lookouts sighted three sail off Banks's Bay, all on a wind, but a good deal separated.