1813	Phoebe and Essex	289

West Indies, by the 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Barrossa. The Policy, laden also with a full cargo of oil, was retaken by the Loire frigate; and the New-Zealander, having on board " All the oil of the other prizes, " by the Belvidera. The Rose and Charlton were given up to the prisoners. The Montezuma, it is believed, was sold at Valparaiso. The Hector and Catherine, with their cargoes, were burnt at sea. The Atlantic, afterwards called the Essex-Junior, was disarmed by the orders of Captain Hillyar, and sent to America as a cartel. The Sir-Andrew-Hammond was retaken by the Cherub ; the Greenwich, burnt by the orders of the American officer in charge of her; and the Seringapatam, taken possession of by her American crew. The mutineers carried her to New South-Wales ; whence she was brought to England, and delivered up to her owners, on payment of salvage. Thus have we the end of all the " prizes taken by the Essex, in the Pacific, valued at 250,000 dollars ; " and, as another item on the debit side of Captain Porter's account, the Essex herself became transferred to the British navy.

At the risk of being charged with impiety, we must express a wish that, instead of announcing his success in the words " It pleased the Almighty Disposer of events to bless the efforts of my gallant companions, and my personal, very humble ones, with victory," Captain Hillyar had stated, in a plain manner, the surrender of the Essex, and left the public to judge, by what means, others than the well-directed 18-pounders of the Phoebe, the comparatively unimportant event had been brought about. It was only a few months before, that an American commander announced his success over a Lilliputian British fleet on Lake Erie, in the following words: " It has pleased the Almighty to give to the arms of the United States a signal victory over their enemies on this lake." We remember, also, when looking over the log books of British ships, and some hundreds have passed under our inspection, once coming to the words, " Mustered the crew and read prayers for the victory." And what was the " victory " ? Why, the success of three ships over one, and that not until after the sacrifice of nearly 100 lives. In our view of the matter, appeals to the Deity on such occasions of blood and carnage are, to say the least of them, quite at variance with the spirit of true religion.

The best part of Captain Hillyar's public letter is, we think, the following passage : " The defence of the Essex, taking into consideration our superiority of force, the very discouraging circumstance of her having lost her main topmast, and being twice on fire, did honour to her brave defenders, and most fully evinced the courage of Captain Porter, and those under his command. Her colours were not struck, until the loss in killed and wounded was so awfully great, and her shattered condition so seriously bad, as to render further resistance unavailing." Captain Hillyar penned this encomium two days after the action, and

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