After putting a prize crew on board this last capture, Lieutenant Downes had but ten men left in the _Georgiana_, and, including the wounded, he held seventy-three prisoners. Now it seems that the _Rose_ was an old tub of a ship which it wouldn't pay to bring into port under the circumstances; therefore he threw her guns overboard, and filled her with the prisoners, on condition that they head direct for St. Helena. When that had been done he steered for Tumbez, for it appears that he and Captain Porter had agreed to go there when it was necessary to make a port. Now our fleet consisted of nine sail, and it began to look as if we might take possession of every port in the Pacific Ocean, if we were so minded. The beauty of it was that all our ships and ammunition had come from the Britishers, which was surely an economical way of carrying on a war. Even Phil and I were puffed up with pride because of what had been accomplished, and we crowed as loud as any man on the gun-deck when we went over and over again the "luck of the _Essex_." We soon learned that the fleet was not yet to the captain's liking, and on the morning after the arrival of Mr. Downes our people set about making a change. The _Atlantic_, which, as you will remember, we captured just before running for Tumbez, was an hundred tons larger than the _Georgiana_, and had shown herself to be a better sailer, as well as possessing superior qualifications for a cruiser; therefore Mr. Downes and his crew were transferred to her. Twenty guns were mounted in this new sloop of war, and she was manned by sixty men. Her name was changed to _Essex Junior_, and a right trim little ship she was, I can assure you. The _Greenwich_ we made over into a store-ship, and all the spare stores of the other vessels were put into her. She was armed with twenty guns, but had no more of a crew than was absolutely necessary to work her; therefore we could not count that she would do much in the way of making prizes. The carpenters were yet busily at work on the _Essex Junior_ when we left port; but we had become accustomed to fitting at sea, therefore a little thing like that did not disturb the most nervous. A brave show we made as we passed out of the harbor with the stars and stripes floating in the breeze, and I would have given half my share of prize money if the people at home could have seen us, and known how this squadron had been gotten together. We were yet at sea on the Fourth of July, and then was held a Yankee celebration which must have astonished the mermaids. Every ship fired a salute, and, what pleased us most, did it with powder we had taken from the Britishers. We had plum duff till we could eat no more, to say nothing of roast pig, vegetables, and other such cabin stores as tickle the appetite.