Journal of a cruise made to the Pacific Ocean / by Captain David Porter, in the United States frigate Essex, in the years 1812, 1813, and 1814. Containing descriptions of the Cape de Verd Islands, coasts of Brazil, Patagonia, Chili, and Peru, and of the Gallapagos Islands.
- David Porter
- Date:
- [1815]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Journal of a cruise made to the Pacific Ocean / by Captain David Porter, in the United States frigate Essex, in the years 1812, 1813, and 1814. Containing descriptions of the Cape de Verd Islands, coasts of Brazil, Patagonia, Chili, and Peru, and of the Gallapagos Islands. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![Wooaheevah had many charms for a sailor, and had part of absent themselves until the moment before my departure. This severity had the desired effect; whatever might have been their disposition, none thought proper to absent themselves except a lazy negro, whom] took on board through Charity at Tumbez; and who from his insignificance, was not missed until after we had sailed. This affair had, however, like to have ended seriously; my crew did not see the same motives for restraint as myseif, they ~ had long been indulged, and they thought it now hard to be de- prived of their usual liberty: one kiss now was worth a thousand at any other time; they were restless, discontented, and unhappy. The girls lined the beach from morning until night, and every moment importuned me to take the taboos off the men, and laugh- ingly expressed their grief by dipping their fingers into the sea and touching their eyes, so as to let the salt water trickle down their cheeks. Others would seize a chip, and holding it in the manner of a sharks’ tooth, declared they would cut themselves to pieces in despair; some threatened to beat their brains out with a spear of grass, some to drown themselves, and all were deter- mined to inflict on themselves some dreadful punishment if { did not permit their sweethearts to come onshore. The men did not bear it with so much good humour: their situation, they said, was worse than slavery, and one Robert White deciared on board the Essex J unior, that the crew of the Essex had come to a resolu- . tion not to weigh her anchor, or if they should be compelled to get the ship under way, in three days time after leaving the port, to hoist their own flag. When this was reported to me it became necessary for me to notice it, and with such a variety of charac- ters as a ship of war’s crew is generally composed, in such cases none but energetic measures will answer. I was willing to let them ease their minds by a little grumbling, it was no more than what I expected, but a threat of this kind was carrying matters ra-_ ther too far. I called all hands to muster on the larboard side of the -_quarter-deck, and after stating to them the necessity of getting the ship ia readiness for sea with all possible despatch, and informing them that was the sole cause of their confinement, which was sy no means intended as a punishment to them, as their conduct](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29286931_0433.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
