Four days after being put into commission the Georgiana set off on an independent cruise, and we hung around Charles's Island until the 28th of May before sighting another sail.
Then one hove in sight dead ahead, and, success having made us confident, we piled on the canvas, believing she was the same as ours already.
Our three prizes, with good working crews, were close aboard us at the moment the stranger was sighted, and away we dashed in the finest style, ready to meet anything from a line-of-battle ship to a couple of frigates.
The chase was begun late in the afternoon, and we held on all night, keeping her well in sight, and heaving in view another sail of which we took no notice, save to send a couple of boats after her, for the bird which we had almost in our hand was worth any two well down on the horizon.
The stranger was a big ship, and sailed well; but she could not hold her own with the Essex, and by nine o'clock next morning we were alongside with the crew at quarters.
We believed of a verity that this fellow would fight, since he had ten ports on a side, and once more did I feel too nervous for comfort; but no sooner were we in a position to open the battle than she surrendered, and we were in possession of the British whaler Atlantic, of three hundred and fifty-five tons burden, carrying twenty-four men. She had eight eighteen-pounders mounted, and might have held us in check long enough to show that English sailors are the gluttons at fighting which they claim to be.
No sooner had we thrown a prize crew on board, and seen to it that the Britishers were secured where they couldn't make any trouble for our men, than the Essex was put about in chase of the sail we had sighted during the night, our consorts following a long distance in our wake, unable to keep the pace we were setting.
We came up with the chase about noon, and then were becalmed within two miles of her.
She appeared to be heavily armed, and we were short-handed in consequence of having distributed so many men among the prizes taken thus far, as well as sending out the two boats, which had probably been picked up by some of our fleet before this time.