After seeing the Phoebe and Essex as far as the island of Juan Fernandez, the Briton and Tagus proceeded to Callao, Paita, and some other places of inferior note on the coast of Peru; thence to the Gallapagos and Marquesas islands, but had not the good fortune to fall in with any thing like an enemy.
On the 28th Aug. 1814, Sir Thomas Staines took formal possession of Nooaheevah, one of the most considerable of the latter group, on which island Captain Porter had built a fort, &c. and hoisted American colours. The following are extracts from a ridiculous document written by that pompous personage, and found by the British in a bottle buried under the flag-staff:–
“It is hereby made known to the world, that I, David Porter, a Captain in the Navy of the United States of America, and now in command of the U.S. frigate Essex, have, on the part of the said United States, taken possession of the island called by the natives Nooaheevah, generally known by the name of Sir Henry Martyn’s Island, but now called Maddison’s Island; that by the request and assistance of the friendly tribes residing in the valley of Tuhuoy, as well as the tribes residing in the mountains, whom I have conquered and rendered tributary to our flag, I have caused the village of Maddison to be built, consisting of six convenient houses, a ropewalk, bakery, and other appurtenances; and for the protection of the same, I have constructed a fort calculated to mount 16 guns, whereon I have mounted 4, and have called the same Fort Maddison[1].
“Our right to this island being founded on priority of discovery, conquest, and possession, cannot be disputed[2]; but the natives, to secure themselves that friendly protection which their defenceless situation so much required, have requested to be admitted into the great American family, whose pure republican policy approaches so near to their own; and in order to encourage those to their own interests and happiness, as well as to render secure our claim to an island, valuable on so many considera-- ↑ The disgraceful manner in which Captain Porter rendered the mountain tribes tributary to the American flag, is related in “Shillibeer’s Narrative of the Briton’s Voyage,” an interesting little volume, published by Law and Whittaker, in 1817. Fort Maddison and the village were destroyed immediately after Captain Porter’s departure from the island.
- ↑ Nooaheevah and the adjacent islands were discovered by the Spaniards 180 years previous to the declaration of North American independence.
