ry man in possession of
a white oak tree be ambitious to be foremost in hurrying down the
timber to Salem where the noble structure is to be fabricated to
maintain your rights upon the seas and make the name of America
respected among the nations of the world. Your largest and longest
trees are wanted, and the arms of them for knees and rising timber.
Four trees are wanted for the keel which altogether will measure
146 feet in length and hew sixteen inches square.

The story of the building of the _Essex_ is that of an aroused and
reliant people. The great timbers were cut in the wood lots of the towns
near by and were hauled through the snowy streets of Salem on ox-sleds
while the people cheered them as they passed. The _Essex_ was a Salem
ship from keel to truck. Her cordage was made in three ropewalks.
Captain Jonathan Haraden, the most famous Salem privateersman of the
Revolution, made the rigging for the mainmast in his loft. The sails
were cut from duck woven for the purpose in the mill on Broad Street and
the ironwork was forged by Salem shipsmiths. When the huge hempen cables
were ready to be conveyed to the frigate, the workmen hoisted them upon
their shoulders and in procession marched to the music of fife and drum.
In 1799, six months after the oak timbers had been standing trees, the
_Essex_ slid from the stocks into the harbor of old Salem. She was the
handsomest and fastest American frigate of her day and when turned over
to the Government, she cost what seemed at that day the very
considerable amount of seventy-five thousand dollars.

Peace was patched up with France, however, and the _Essex_ was compelled
to pursue more humdrum paths, now in the Indian Ocean and again with the
Mediterranean squadron, until war with England began in 1812. It was
intended that Captain Porter should rendezvous with the _Constitution_
and the _Hornet_ in South American waters for a well-planned cruise
against British commerce, but other engagements detained Bainbridge,
notably his encounter with the _Java_, and so they missed each other by
a thousand miles or so. Since he had no means of communication, it was
characteristic of Porter to conclude to strike out for himself instead
of wandering about in an uncertain search for his friends.

Porter conceived the bold plan of rounding the Horn and playing havoc
with the British whaling fleet. This adventure would take him ten
thousand miles fr