and at daylight we hoisted the English
flag. The barque not responding, fired a blank cartridge. She still not
responding, fired a shot astern of her, she being about two miles
distant. This brought her to with the United States colours at her peak;
put a boat on board, and took possession of her. She proved to be the
Alert, from New London, sixteen days from port; bound, _via_ the Azores,
Cape de Verde, &c., to the Indian Ocean. Supplied ourselves from her
with some underclothing for the men, of which we stood in need.

About 9 A.M. fired the Starlight; at 11 fired the Ocean Rover; and at 4
P.M. fired the Alert. Boarded a Portuguese whaling-brig, the master of
which I brought on board with his papers. These proving to be regular, I
dismissed him within a few minutes. Sent the captain and crew of the
Alert on shore, to the village on the north end of Flores, in their own
boats, four in number.

Sail, ho! at 5 P.M. Filled away, and gave chase to a schooner in the
N.E. She was standing for us at first, but tacked on our approach, and
endeavoured to run. We had shown her the United States colors, and she
also had hoisted them, but she distrusted us. A blank cartridge brought
her round again, and hove her to. Sent a boat on board, and took
possession of the schooner Weather Gauge, of Provincetown, six weeks
out. The last two captures supplied us with large numbers of Northern
newspapers as late as August 18th. * * *

_Saturday, September 13th_.--Gave chase to a sail reported on the
weather bow, and upon coming up with her, and heaving her to with a
blank cartridge, she proved to be the hermaphrodite whaling brig
Altamaha, from New Bedford, five months out. Little or no success.
Captured her, put a prize crew on board, and made sail in chase of a
barque to windward.

* * * * *

_Sunday, September 14th_.--* * * Last night at a quarter past eleven I
was aroused by the report that a large ship was close on board of us.
Hurried on deck, wore ship, and gave-chase; the strange sail being about
two to two and a half miles from us, partially to windward. Made all
sail, held our wind, and gradually eat him out of the wind, as well as
head-reached on him. Fired a blank cartridge, which he disregarded.
Continued to overhaul him, and when we had gotten on his weather-beam,
distant about half a mile from him, fired a second gun, which speedily
brought him to the wind with his maintopsail to the mast. S