vessels not captured dared leave port, and the American merchant ships
were protected. The play being over, he craved more serious business. He
therefore set out to hunt up some of the British cruisers that were
trying to hunt him up.

In February, 1814, the _Essex_ and the _Essex Junior_, as one of the
newly manned prizes had been christened, entered Valparaiso, where they
learned that the 36-gun frigate _Phoebe_ was in the neighborhood
searching for them. Captain Porter gave a reception to the officials of
Valparaiso, and the next morning, while half of the crew were ashore,
the _Essex Junior_ signalled from the offing that two British frigates
were in sight. They came into port, the captain of the _Phoebe_
exchanging, compliments with Porter, they being old acquaintances; but,
all the same, each was distrustful of the other, and both maintained
what may be termed a position of armed neutrality.

For six weeks the two frigates blockaded Porter. Learning then that
other ships were expected, Porter determined to get to sea. In the
attempt, his vessel was completely disabled by a storm. Despite the
neutrality of the port, the two British frigates attacked him, keeping
beyond range of the _Essex's_ short guns and thus rendering her
perfectly powerless to help herself. The _Essex_ was pounded at long
range until 58 of her men were killed and 66 wounded, when, to save her
officers and crew from annihilation, she surrendered.




CHAPTER XVI.