n
obedience to a signal from the frigate. She proved to be the
"Montezuma," Capt. Baxter, with a cargo of fourteen hundred barrels of
sperm-oil. Baxter visited Capt. Porter in his cabin, and sat there
unsuspectingly, giving the supposed British captain information for
his aid in capturing American ships. The worthy whaler little knew, as
he chatted away, that his crew was being transferred to the frigate,
and a prize-crew sent to take charge of the "Montezuma."

By noon the expected calm fell over the water; and the boats were
ordered away to take possession of the two whalers, that lay
motionless some eight miles from the "Essex." The distance was soon
passed, and the two ships were ordered to surrender, which they
quickly did, much astonished to find a United States man-of-war in
that region. A breeze shortly after springing up, all the prizes bore
down upon the frigate; and the gallant lads of the "Essex" had the
pleasure of seeing themselves surrounded with captured property to the
value of nearly half a million dollars. One of the vessels, the
"Georgiana," was a good sailer, strongly built, and well fitted for a
cruiser. Accordingly she was armed with sixteen guns and a number of
swivels, and placed under the command of Lieut. Downes. With this
addition to his force, and with the other two prizes following in his
wake, Porter returned to the Galapagos Islands. The first sight of the
far-off peaks of the desert islands rising above the water was hailed
with cheers by the sailors, who saw in the Galapagos not a group of
desolate and rocky islands, but a place where turtle was plenty, and
shore liberty almost unlimited. Porter remained some days at the
islands, urging the crew of the "Essex," as well as the prisoners, to
spend much time ashore. Signs of the scurvy were evident among the
men, and the captain well knew that in no way could the dread disease
be kept away better than by constant exercise on the sands of the
seashore. The sailors entered heartily into their captain's plans, and
spent hours racing on the beach, swimming in the surf, and wandering
over the uninhabited islands.

After a few days of this sort of life, the squadron put to sea again.
The "Georgianna" now separated from the fleet, and started on an
independent cruise, with orders for a rendezvous at certain specific
times. The "Essex" continued to hover about the Galapagos, in the
hopes of getting a few more whalers. She had not long to wait; f