Captain Porter had become so clever in disguising his vessel as a merchantman that some days later he lured the British 16-gun ship-sloop Alert to attack him.  In the space of eight minutes the Alert was so helplessly crippled that her captain surrendered.  The Essex did not suffer the slightest injury and no men were killed on either vessel.

The Essex had now five hundred prisoners aboard, and they formed an element of serious danger, for they began plotting among themselves to capture the ship from the Americans and turn her over to the enemy.  Captain Porter was a severe disciplinarian, and one of his practices was to have the alarm of fire sounded at all hours of the day or night, that his crew might be taught the successful way of fighting the ever-present danger.  To make such training perfect, he occasionally started a fire in the hatches.

The leader in the conspiracy to seize the ship fixed upon a night to make the attempt, and his friends were on the alert to join him the moment he gave the signal.  In one of the hammocks was sleeping a midshipmite only eleven years old, but, young as he was, he was a hero.  Pistol in hand, the plotter tiptoed up beside the hammock to learn whether the boy was asleep.  The little fellow was never wider awake in his life; but he kept his eyes closed and breathed regularly, so as to deceive the scoundrel, who slipped away to lead his companions in their murderous uprising.

The instant the man disappeared the boy midshipman sprang out of his hammock, crept to the cabin and told Captain Porter what he had seen.  That officer ran into the berth deck and loudly shouted “Fire!” The finely disciplined crew promptly answered the call, and going to the main hatch, were speedily armed and received their orders from Captain Porter.  The plotters were overawed and the rebellion nipped in the bud.

Thus the Essex was saved by the wits of a boy only eleven years old.  The name of that boy was David Glasgow Farragut, and he became the greatest naval officer of the American navy.  Of course I shall have more to tell you about him later on.

Determined to rid himself of the dangerous prisoners, Captain Porter placed them on board the Alert and sent them to Nova Scotia on parole.  In a cruise of sixty days he made nine captures, recaptured five privateers and merchantmen, and arrived in the Delaware early in September.

He sailed again in the latter part of October with the smallest frigate in the navy, but with a full complement of officers and men.  Among the former, it need hardly be said, was young Midshipman Farragut.  The first port at which he stopped was Port Praya, where the Portuguese governor showed them much courtesy.  In December the Essex crossed the equator, and soon after overhauled a British brig of war, which strained every effort to escape.  The two manoeuvred for position, but the Essex proved her superiority, and, after a volley of musketry, which killed one man, the Nocton, as she proved to be, hauled down her flag.  She carried only 10 guns and 31 men, but had $50,000 in specie on board.  Captain Porter placed an officer and crew in charge of the prize, with instructions to make the nearest American port.  While striving to do so he was captured by the British frigate Belvidera.