wanted the maintopsail
filled. He answered with a clear 'Ay, ay, sir!' in a manner which was
not to be misunderstood, and my confidence was perfectly restored. From
that moment I became master of the vessel, and immediately gave all
necessary orders for making sail, notifying the captain not to come on
deck with his pistols unless he wished to go overboard, for I would
really have had very little trouble in having such an order obeyed. I
made my report to Captain Downes (of the Essex Junior), on rejoining
him; and the captain also told his story, in which he endeavored to
pursuade Downes that he only tried to frighten me. I replied by
requesting Captain Downes to ask him how he succeeded; and to show him
that I did not fear him, I offered to go back and proceed with him to
Valparaiso. He was informed that I was in command, he being simply my
adviser in navigating the vessel in case of separation. So, this being
settled and understood, I returned to the Barclay, and everything went
on amicably up to our arrival in Valparaiso."

It was on the 30th of June that the little squadron sailed from Tumbez,
standing to the westward till they should reach the trade-winds; and on
the 4th of July that the Essex Junior separated, with the prizes, and
Farragut had his scene with the captain of the Barclay. As the winds on
the west coast of South America blow throughout the year from the
southward, the passage of sailing vessels in that direction is always
long; but for the same reason the return is quickly made. When,
therefore, the Essex Junior rejoined the Essex at the Galapagos, on the
30th of September, she brought comparatively recent news, and that of a
very important character. Letters from the American consul in Buenos
Ayres informed Porter that on the 5th of July the British frigate
Phoebe, of thirty-six guns, a vessel in every way of superior force to
the Essex, had sailed from Rio Janeiro for the Pacific, accompanied by
two sloops-of-war, the Cherub and Raccoon, of twenty-four guns each.
This little squadron was charged with the double mission of checking the
ravages of the Essex and of destroying the fur trade of American
citizens at the mouth of the Columbia River. From the date of their
leaving Rio these ships were not improbably now on the coast; and
allowing for time to refit after the stormy passage round the Horn, they
might be expected soon to seek Porter at the Galapagos, the headquarters
of the British whalers.