Newfoundland bound to Spain, with a cargo of codfish-ordered her for France.

June 12, schooner Falcon, of Guernsey, John Mauger, master, of two guns and 10 men, from Newfoundland bound to Spain, with a cargo of codfish-ordered her for France.

July 12, brig Jane and Ann, of Salt Coats, Robert Caldwell, master, from Cork bound to Archangel, in ballast, took out her crew and sunk her.

July 18, brig Daphne, of Whitby, William Gales, master, of two guns and nine men, from South Shields bound to Archangel, in ballast, took out her crew and sunk her.

July 24, ship Eliza Swan, of Montrose, John Young, master, of eight guns and 48 men, from a Greenland whaling voyage, bound to Montrose with fish blubber-ransomed her for 5000 pounds sterling.

July 29, brig Alert of Peterhead, George Shand, master, from Archangel bound to Oporto (via England), with a cargo of pitch and tar-took out the crew and burnt her.

August 2, barque Lion, of Liverpool, Thomas Hawkins, master, of eight guns and 52 men, from Greenland, whaling voyage, bound to Liverpool, with fish and blubber-ransomed her for 3000 pounds sterling.

August 30, hermaphrodite brig Shannon, of St. Kitts, John Perkins, master, from St. Kitts bound to London, with a cargo of rum, sugar and molasses-ordered her for the United States.

September 9, brig Fly, of Bermuda, James Boyey, master, of six guns and nine men, from Jamaica bound to London, with a cargo of coffee-ordered her for the United States.

September 23, his Britannic majesty's schooner Highflyer, lieutenant George Hutchinson, commander, of five guns, five officers, and 34 men.

CAPTURE OF THE DART.

Copy of a Letter from Commodore Rodgers, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated

Sir,

United States Frigate President, Pawtuxet, Oct. 7th, 1813. Enclosed I have the honour of transmitting you a letter this moment received from lieutenant Nicholson, command

VOL. II.

U U

ing the gun boats at Newport, informing me of the capture of the private armed sloop Dart.

With great respect I have the honour to be, &c.

JOHN RODGERS.

The Hon. Wm. Jones, Secretary of the Navy.

Copy of a Letter from Lieutenant Nicholson to Commodore Rodgers.

Sir,

Newport, Oct. 5, 1813. I have the pleasure to inform you of the capture of the British armed sloop "Dart," by the revenue cutter of this place last evening. She appeared off the harbour before sunset; the captain of the cutter offered his services to go out; I put on board three sailing masters and about 20 men; she immediately made sail and laid aboard the Dart, and carried by boarding: her first officer was killed; two of our own men wounded slightly. The prisoners I send for your disposal.

Very respectfully, your most obedient humble servant,

JOSEPH NICHOLSON. Commodore John Rodgers, U. S. Frigate President.

CRUIZE OF THE ESSEX.

Copies of Letters from Captain David Porter commanding the United States Frigate Essex, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated

Sir,

United States Frigate Essex, Pacific Ocean, July 2, 1813. I have the honour to inform you that on the 29th of April, in the latitude of 40° N. longitude 91° 15′ W. about 20 miles to the northward of the island of Albermarle, one of the Gallapagos in the Pacific Ocean, I captured the British ship Montezuma; two others being in sight, close together, distant from us about seven miles, which we were informed were the British letters of marque ships Policy and Georgiana; the first mounting ten guns, six and nine pounders; the other six 18-pounders, four swivels, and six long blunderbusses, mounted on swivels. The wind being light and variable, and confiding greatly in the bravery and enterprize of my officers and men, and apprehensive of their escape, from the prevalence of fogs in that climate, I directed

the boats of this ship to be armed and manned, and divided into two divisions, placing the first under the command of lieutenant Downes, first lieutenant in a whale boat, accompanied by midshipman Farragut. The officers in command of boats under lieutenant Downes were, lieutenant S. D. M'Knight, in the third cutter, accompanied by midshipman W. H. Odenheimer, sailing master John P. Cowell, in the jolly boat, accompanied by midshipman H. W. Ogden, and midshipman George Isaacs, in the second cutter. The second division under the command of lieutenant Wilmer, second lieutenant in the pinnace, accompanied by midshipman Henry Gray, and master's mate James Terry; lieutenant Wilson and Mr. Shaw, purser, in the first cutter; and lieutenant Gamble, of the marines, in the gig. Suitable signals were established, and each boat had her particular station pointed out for the attack, and every other previous arrangement was made to prevent confusion. The boats, seven in number, rowed off in admirable order. Guns were fired from the enemy to terrify them; they rowed up under the muzzles of the guns, and took their stations for attacking the first ship, and no sooner was the American flag displayed, by lieutenant Downes, as the signal for boarding, and the intention was discovered by the enemy, than the colours were struck without a shot being fired; so much were they daunted by the intrepidity of our brave officers and men. They then left a crew on board the prize, and took their stations for attacking the other vessel, when her flag was also struck, on the first call to surrender. Thus were two fine British ships each pierced for 20 guns, worth near half a million of dollars, mounting between them 16 guns and manned with 55 men, well supplied with ammunition and small arms, surrendered, without the slightest resistance, to seven small open boats, with 50 men, armed only with muskets, pistols, boarding axes, and cutlasses! Be assured, sir, that Britons have either learned to respect the courage of Americans, or they are not so courageous themselves as they would wish us to believe.

I have the honour to be, with great respect, your obedient D. PORTER.

servant,

The Secretary of the Navy, Washington.

United States' Frigate Essex, at Sea, Pacific Ocean, July 2d, 1813. shaping my

Sir, On the 23d March last, I sailed from course to the northward, and on the 26th of the same month

fell in with the Peruvian corsair ship, Nereyda, mounting 15 guns; she had, a few days before, captured two American whale ships, the crews of which (amounting in number to 24 men), were then detained prisoners on board her; and they could assign no other motive for the capture, than that they were the allies of Great Britain and as such, should capture all American vessels they could fall in with; therefore to prevent in future such vexatious proceedings, I threw all her armanent into the sea, liberated the Americans, and dismissed the Nereyda.

I then proceeded with all possible despatch for Lima, to intercept one of the detained vessels, which had parted with the Nereyda only three days before, and I was so fortunate as to arrive there and re-capture her on the 5th April, at the moment she was entering the port. This vessel (the ship Barclay, captain Gideon Randall of New Bedford), I took under my protection, and have had her with me ever since. From Lima I proceeded for the Gallapagos island, where I captured the following British ships, viz.

Letters of Marque.

Montezuma, 270 tons, 21 men, two guns; Policy, 275 do., 26 do., 10 do.; Georgiana, 280 do., 25 do., 6 do.; Atlantic, 354 do., 24 do., 8 do; Greenwich, 338 do., 25 do., 10 do.

The Georgiana being reputed a very fast sailer, and apparently well calculated for a cruizer, I mounted 16 guns on her, and gave the command of her to that excellent officer, lieutenant John Downes, with a complement of 42 men, appointing midshipman W. H. Haddaway acting lieutenant on board her, and sent her on a cruize.

Lieutenant Downes joined me at Tumbez, near Guiaquil on the coast of Peru, on the 24th June, after capturing three prizes, to wit:

Letters of Marque Ships.

Hector, 270 tons, 25 men, 11 guns; Catharine, 270 do., 25 do., 8 do.; Rose, 220 do., 21 do., 8 do.

The first had two men killed, and six badly wounded in her rencontre with the Georgiana-and the Rose was discharged (after being deprived of her armament) with all the prisoners captured by the Georgiana, as they amounted to nearly double her crew. She was furnished with a passport to proceed to St. Helena.

My own prisoners I liberated on parole at Tumbez. I found by experience that the Georgiana did not deserve the character given of her for sailing, I therefore shipped her

officers and crew to the Atlantic, and mounted on her 20 guns, with a complement of 60 men, and appointed midshipman Richard Dashiell acting sailing-master on board herto this vessel I gave the name of the Essex Junior. I also fitted up the ship Greenwich as a store ship, and mounted on her 20 guns, placing her under the command of lieutenant Gamble, of the marines. On board her I have put all the provisions and stores of my other prizes, except a supply of three and a half months for each, and have by this means secured myself a full supply of every necessary article for seven months. I had hoped to dispose of my other prizes at Guiaquil; the governors in Peru, however, are excessively alarmed at my appearance on the coast, as my fleet now amounts to nine sail of vessels, all formidable in their appearance, and they would, if they dare, treat us with a hostility little short of declared enemies.

I have given to Mr. J. G. Cowell, sailing master, an appointment to act third lieutenant; midshipman J. S. Cowan, to act fourth lieutenant, and midshipman Odenheimer, as sailing master. I beg, sir, that the appointment of those officers, as well as of lieutenant S. D. M'Knight, who is acting second lieutenant, and those serving on board the Essex Junior, may be confirmed by the department. Drs. Richard R. Hoffman and Alexander M. Montgomery, two gentlemen of great merit, who volunteered their services with me at the commencement of hostilities, have received acting appointments from me, the first as surgeon, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Dr. Miller; the other as surgeon's mate. To the great care and attention of those gentlemen, may, in a considerable degree, be attributed the extraordinary health of the crew-and as they are both desirous of joining the navy, I hope their appointments may be confirmed.

I have also appointed my marine officer and chaplain to the command of prizes; they all enter with much cheerfulness into their new duties; and if the expedition should not prove successful, it will not be, I am persuaded, owing to our want of activity or vigilance; and of this you must be satisfied, as for the last eight months we have been constantly at sea, with the exception of 23 days, and yet, sir, we have enjoyed extraordinary health and spirits; no symptom of the scurvy having yet appeared in the ship, nor have we, at this moment, more than two on the sick list; and their diseases are more owing to the infi, mities of age than any other cause. Indeed, sir, when I compare my present situation with what it was when I doubled Cape Horn, I cannot but esteem my