ic Ocean, and went into the harbor of Valparaiso, on the western
coast of South America. Then she cruised northward in search of British
armed whaling vessels, capturing several. Porter converted them into war
vessels, and created for himself an active little squadron, with which
he sailed for the Marquesas Islands. After remaining there awhile, he
returned to Valparaiso, and at that sea-port had a fierce battle with
two British vessels which had been sent to oppose his destructive career
in the waters of the Pacific. These were the frigates _Phoebe_ and
_Cherub_.

These vessels cruised off the harbor of Valparaiso, waiting for
re-enforcements. The _Essex_, with her consort, _Essex Junior_, in
attempting to get to sea, became crippled by a squall, when the
_Phoebe_ and _Cherub_ attacked, in violation of the rights of a
neutral port. Then occurred one of the most sanguinary sea-fights of the
war, and it was only when her officers and men were nearly all slain or
wounded, and she was on fire, that the _Essex_ was surrendered. "We have
been unfortunate, but not disgraced," wrote Porter to the Secretary of
the Navy. That was in February, 1814. Porter had carried the first
American flag on a vessel of war ever seen in the Pacific Ocean.

Commodore Rodgers made a memorable cruise of one hundred and forty days
on the stormy Atlantic in 1813, sailing from Boston in the frigate
_President_ in April. He captured eleven British merchant vessels and
the armed schooner _Highflyer_, a tender of Admiral Warren's flag-ship.
Rodgers had been put in possession of some of the British signals. When
he saw the _Highflyer_, he hoisted English colors, and trying his
signals, found to his delight that they were answered. He then assumed
the character of a British officer. He decoyed the _Highflyer_ alongside
the _President_, which he pretended was the large British ship
_Sea-Horse_, then in American waters. The commander of the _Highflyer_
(Lieutenant Hutchinson) was thoroughly deceived. Rodgers ordered him to
send him his signal books. He obeyed, and soon followed them in person.
He saw the marines of the _President_ in British uniform, and mistook
them for his own countrymen.

"The _President_," said the unsuspecting Hutchinson, "has spread alarm
in British waters, and the main object of the Admiral is to catch her."

"What kind of a man is Rodgers?" asked the Commodore.

"I have never seen him," said Hutchinson, "but have been told that