all aflame, and swam ashore, though scarcely a square inch
could be found on his body which was not burned. Another seaman had
sixteen or eighteen scales of iron chipped from the muzzle of his gun
driven into his legs, yet he reached the shore in safety.

After some delay, the "Essex Junior" was disarmed; and the prisoners,
having given their paroles, were placed on board her, with a letter
of safe-conduct from Capt. Hillyar to prevent their capture by any
British man-of-war in whose path they might fall. But this letter
availed them little; for, after an uneventful voyage to the northward,
the "Essex Junior" found herself brought to by a shot from the British
frigate "Saturn," off Sandy Hook. The boarding-officer took Capt.
Hillyar's letter to the commander of the "Saturn," who remarked that
Hillyar had no authority to make any such agreement, and ordered the
"Essex Junior" to remain all night under the lee of the British ship.
Capt. Porter was highly indignant, and handed his sword to the British
officer, saying that he considered himself a prisoner. But the
Englishman declined the sword, and was about to return to his ship,
when Porter said, "Tell the captain that I am his prisoner, and do not
consider myself any longer bound by my contract with Capt. Hillyar,
which he has violated; and I shall act accordingly." By this Porter
meant that he now considered himself absolved from his parole, and
free to escape honorably if an opportunity should offer.

Accordingly at seven o'clock the following morning, a boat was
stealthily lowered from the "Essex Junior;" and Porter, descending
into it, started for the shore, leaving a message, that, since British
officers showed so little regard for each other's honor, he had no
desire to trust himself in their hands. The boat had gone some
distance before she was sighted by the lookout on the "Saturn," for
the hull of the "Essex Junior" hid her from sight. As soon as the
flight was noticed, the frigate made sail in chase, and seemed likely
to overhaul the audacious fugitives, when a thick fog set in, under
cover of which Porter reached Babylon, L.I., nearly sixty miles
distant. In the mean time, the "Essex Junior," finding herself hidden
from the frigate by the fog-bank, set sail, and made for the mouth of
the harbor. She was running some nine knots an hour when the fog
showed signs of lifting; and she came up into the wind, that the
suspicion of the British might not be aroused.