lightning, and much rain. Towards midnight it fell calm, and the boats were prevented from effecting their purpose; and before day-break, a small land wind springing up, the Port au Prince got off from the land without being discovered. As soon as daylight appeared, the boats perceived from the rock that the vessel had attempted to come out, but being becalmed, had dropped anchor five or six miles from the batteries. One boat was immediately despatched to the Port au Prince, to inform her of the circumstance, whilst the two remaining boats proceeded to take possession of her. At noon, a fresh breeze springing up, the Port au Prince made all sail, and steered towards St Blas. At three p. m. the boats took possession of their expected prize, which proved to be the corbeta Santa Anna, Captain Francisco Puertas, laden with pitch, tar, and cedar boards, bound to Guiaquil. The Spaniards had cut their cable, and made an attempt to run in under the batteries, but the boats taking possession of her in time, prevented that intention. At day-light the following morning, twenty prisoners were sent on shore in the long-boat. Two negroes and two Spaniards, who entered for the Port au Prince, were retained. The two negroes would have been sent on shore also, but they fell on their knces, and begged and prayed hard to be kept on board. The captain of the prize was, indeed, very anxious that they should be sent on shore, as they were the property of the owner; but Captain Duck's humanity would by no means consent to this; for they clasped his knees, and entreated him with such earnest looks and words of persuasion, that, although he had no use for them, he could not but

listen to their request. They afterwards turned out to be very honest, faithful fellows. From the prize were taken two bullocks, a pig, two hundred weight of bread, a quantity of jerk-beef, fowls, pumpkins, and one hundred and seventeen dollars and three quarters. The command of the prize was given to Mr Maclaren, with twelve hands, besides a Spaniard to navigate her, with orders to proceed to Port Jackson, and proper instructions how to act on his arrival there.

On the 23d of June, the Spaniard on board informed the captain that two vessels were expected daily at Acapulco, from Guiaquil. They were laden with cocoa, and had sailed from the latter place but a few days after the Santa Isidora. The question of propriety in looking after these vessels now occasioned a dispute between Captain Duck and Mr. Brown, the whaling-master. The captain was of opinion, that they should be looked after, although contrary to their instructions; Mr Brown, on the other hand, contended that the whaling cruise should alone occupy their attention, although the ground appeared so bad. It was, however, at length determined that the Port au Prince should proceed for the island of Ceros, to make up for her ill success in her whaling cruize, by laying in a cargo of elephant oil and seal-skins, this being part of her instructions. The two vessels laden with cocoa were therefore, not waited for, although they would undoubtedly have been rich prizes. Here it may with propriety be remarked, that had the Port au Prince been fitted out alone as a privateer, she might have made a good voyage; or had her instructions been in such discretionary terms that the captain could have

acted according to his own judgment, she might equally have made a successful cruise. But having two objects in view, the attention being divided between them, and all operations being fettered by the rigidness of the instructions, her success was far less than what it otherwise would have been.

No circumstance of importance occurred up to Friday the 1st of August, when she came to an anchor at the S. E. part of the island of Ceros.

On Sunday, the carpenter was employed in examining the state of the vessel; and in the afternoon, Captain Duck finding himself very ill went on shore. Next day, the carpenter discovering a plank very much eaten by rats, he removed it altogether, and replaced it with a new one.

On Thursday the 7th of August, the O'Caen, an American ship, from Boston, came to an anchor at this island. This vessel brought information that a Spanish sloop of war, in a leaky state, and laden with tributes for the viceroy of Peru, lay at anchor in an inlet, about three days sail to the northward, on the coast of California. These tributes were partly in money and partly in valuable furs; and a very rich prize, no doubt, she would have proved, and very easily taken, had not untoward events ordered matters otherwise. The people, of course, were eager to possess themselves of so excellent a prize; and Captain Duck, anxious to study the real interest of the owners, although by infringing upon the strict sense of their instructions, promised the crew to go in pursuit of their so much wished for object, as soon as he felt himself a little better. He did not live, however, to execute his intentions; for he died on

Monday, the 11th of August, at half past seven in the afternoon. The command of the vessel now devolved on Mr Brown, whaling-master, who very much disappointed the expectations of the men, by refusing to look after the sloop of war; urging as his reason, that the ship was leaky, and withal deficient in shot. He moreover stated his intention of proceeding to the Sandwich Islands, to put the ship in such a condition as to enable her to proceed to Port Jackson, for a thorough repair.

On Wednesday morning, the 13th of August, Captain Duck was buried on shore. The captain and crew of the O'Caen attended the ceremony. A cedar board was erected at the head of the grave, in place of a tomb-stone, on which the name, age, and profession of the deceased was carved. He was indeed a very worthy man, bore a most excellent character, and was much lamented by the crew, many of whom shed tears of unfeigned sorrow on the occasion. In the afternoon of this day the conduct of Mr Brown was considered very unwarrantable, as he obliged the men, notwithstanding all remonstrances, to try out oil, though several of them refused; swearing they would not work unnecessarily, on a day rendered solemn by the burial of their captain. All this served to increase the general discontent on board. From this time every thing seemed to go badly with the Port au Prince. Her leaks increased, and the discontents of the men became every day more apparent. She left Ceros on the 23d August, and on Monday the 25th, came to an anchor at the Benito Islands, where she remained till Monday the 15th of September, having salted and laid in 8338 seal-skins,

On Friday the 19th of September, having touched at the island of Guadaloupe, she stood out to sea, taking a fresh departure from this place for the island of Owhyee. The leak was now found to have increased so as to be at the rate of seventeen feet in twenty-four hours. On Sunday the 28th, at 6 a.m., Owhyee appeared within sight, bearing W. by N. 20 leagues. Next day at noon a number of the natives came on board, and showed tokens of great friendship. At eight o'clock in the evening the ship anchored in Toeigh bay, and traded with the natives. On Thursday the ninth of October she weighed anchor, and made sail for Woahoo; and on Friday at noon came to an anchor in Anahooroo bay. The chief of the island, hearing there was a sick man on board, refused permission to enter the close harbour; and though he died a few days afterwards, the permission was not granted, for fear of introducing disease into the country, which they said had happened on a former occasion, from an American ship.

On Sunday the 26th, the vessel being plentifully stocked with hogs, fowls, plantains, sweet potatoes, tarra, &c. she weighed anchor, and proceeded towards Otaheite, having received eight of the natives on board, who offered their services, as she was in want of hands on account of the leak; which, as she proceeded on her course, was alarmingly increased to the rate of nine inches and a half per hour. In order to ease the ship, it became necessary to remove the carronades from off the quarter-deck, down below; the try-works were also taken down, and the bricks thrown overboard.

On Tuesday the 18th of November, as well as several days preceding, the pumps were obliged to