"I had no intention of coming on board," said Captain Hillyar, when he saw the look of things on the deck of the Essex. "I am sorry I came so near you."
"Well, you have no business where you are," said Porter. "If you touch a rope yarn of this ship, I shall board instantly."
With that the Phoebe wore round and went off. It was a neutral port and there was a good excuse for not fighting, but it was well for Porter that he was ready.
A few days later he heard that some other British ships were coming from Valparaiso and he concluded to put to sea. He didn't want to fight a whole fleet. But the wind treated him badly. As he sailed out a squall struck the Essex and knocked her maintopmast into the sea. Porter now ran into a small bay near at hand and dropped anchor close to the shore.
Here was the chance for the Phoebe and the Cherub. They could stand off and hammer the Essex where she could not fire back. They had over thirty long guns while the Essex had only six, and only three of these could be used. The rest of her guns were short ones that would not send a ball far enough to reach the British ships.
The Essex was in a trap. The British began to pour solid iron into her at the rate of nearly ten pounds to her one. For two hours this was kept up. There was frightful slaughter on the Essex. Her men were falling like dead leaves, but Porter would not yield.
After this went on for some time there came a change in the wind, and the Essex spread what sail she had and tried to get nearer. But the Phoebe would not wait for her, but sailed away and kept pumping balls into her.
Soon the wind changed again. Now all hope was gone. The American crew was being murdered and could not get near the British. Porter tried to run his ship ashore, intending to fight to the last and then blow her up.
But the treacherous wind shifted again and he could not even reach the shore. Dead and wounded men lay everywhere. Flames were rising in the hold. Water was pouring into shot holes. The good ship had fought her last and it was madness to go on. So at 6.20 o'clock, two and a half hours after the fight began, her flag came down and the battle was over.
The story of the cruise of the Essex and her great struggle against odds was written for us by her young midshipman—David Farragut. President Roosevelt, in his Naval History of the War of 1812, says the following true words about Captain Porter's brave fight: