The next minute orders were given to pitch a couple of shots over the _Nereyda_, and down came her colors as if our balls had cut away the halliards. They didn't care to dispute the question, but surrendered off-hand, as if afraid we might take it into our heads to sink their piratical craft. After that, and until three hours were passed, our men had a lively time taking the privateer's crew aboard the _Essex_ and stowing them in the cages on the lower deck. It was good practice for Lieutenant Downes's fleet of boats, and he did all the work, us idlers overhanging the rail as we watched the sport. When all this had been done and the ship's brig was literally packed with prisoners, Lieutenant McKnight, my cousin, was sent on board the _Nereyda_ with a prize crew, and all three vessels (for the Nantucket skipper hung close to us, as if eager to take part in a fight) stood inshore to look into Coquimbo with the hope of finding there the _Nimrod_ and her prizes. I had almost forgotten to say that when the _Nereyda_ was overhauled, our men found in the privateer's brig the master and crew of the captured ship _Barclay_. Of course they were brought on board the _Essex_, the officers being quartered aft, and the men messing with us of the gun-deck. A mighty happy crowd they were on finding themselves on an American man-of-war, after feeling certain they'd be sent to a Spanish prison. From them we learned that there were no less than twenty-three Yankee whalers in the Pacific, and fully twenty Britishers, all of the last-named being heavily armed and on the lookout to capture our ships. The Englishmen were neglecting the fishery, so the newcomers told us, in order to catch a Yankee, and the _Essex_ hadn't arrived an hour too soon. Surely, it seemed as if our misfortune in not meeting Commodore Bainbridge was a blessing in disguise. Well, we didn't find in the harbor of Coquimbo that for which we were searching, and the captain of the _Charles_, disappointed in not getting an opportunity to take part in a scrimmage, hauled off to attend to the whales. There was no reason why we should hold possession of the Peruvian, and good cause why we ought to give her up, for we were not at war with Spain; therefore, after our unsuccessful visit to Coquimbo, the two ships were hove to within a mile of each other, that Lieutenant Downes's fleet might gain more experience in handling their boats. In the first place, all the privateer's ammunition, shot, small arms, and light sails were thrown overboard, which left that craft in such shape that she couldn't do much harm to anything except herself, and then her crew was sent on board once more. One of the marines told us that Captain Porter had made the officers of the _Nereyda_ swear to deliver a letter to the viceroy of Peru as the price of their liberty, and in that letter our commander denounced the conduct of the privateer's captain, insisting that he be punished for having acted as a pirate.