"The Shannon had a better crew. Besides her complement, she had seamen from two other ships. That crew, too, had been long at sea; long in the ship; were known; were tried; and as commodore Broke sent a challenge, were, of course, men on whom, if they were not picked for the occasion, he knew he could confide. The Chesapeake had, on the contrary, in part, a new crew, unknown to their officers, not yet knowing their places or the ship. The ship had not been more than a few hours at sea, and the landsmen and the landswomen had been dismissed from her on the very day of the engagement. The officers, too, although we should be the last to detract from their merits, and although the manner in which they fought their ship does them the highest honour, the officers were young and few in number, and had as yet hardly any opportunity of disciplining or knowing their seamen; yet, under all these disadvantages, the great damage sustained by the Shannon, and the great loss of her all which took place before the boarding, warrant completely the opinion, that, but for the accidental loss of officers, the victory would have been with the Chesapeake*."

crew,

§ 6. The brig Argus, commanded by lieutenant Allen, sailed from New York about the middle of May, having on board Mr. Crawford, our minister for France. She arrived at L'Orient on the 12th of June, and shortly after sailed on a cruize.

On the 14th of August, being then in St. George's channel, where she had made a number of captures, she was discovered by the Pelican sloop of war, which had been despatched in search of her. As soon as Allen discovered the Pelican he shortened sail, and the two vessels got alongside about half past five in the morning, when an action commenced, which was kept up with spirit on both sides for three quarters of an hour, when, lieutenant Allen being mortally wounded, and nearly forty others killed and wounded on board the Argus, she struck her flag. On board the Pelican there were only two killed and five wounded.

As the American account of this action has not yet been received, owing probably to the death of the commander, and as the British account is unusually barren, we are not able to state any of the particulars. That the Pelican was much superior in force, however, there is little room to doubt. She is rated at two guns more than the Argus; and it is stated, in a London paper, that in the year 1797, she beat off a French 44 gun frigate, after an action of two hours. There is a circumstance mentioned in a Cork paper, too, which is totally kept out of

* Port Folio.

view in the official account, and which, if true, takes away all the honour of the victory; small as it is, from the enemy. As the action closed," says the Cork paper, "his majesty's ship Leonidas, captain Seymour, fell in with them." In Steele's List, the Leonidas is rated as a 38 gun frigate. That a sloop of war should surrender to a vessel of superior force, when a 38 gun frigate was close aboard of them, is a circumstance surely not to be wondered at.

A few days after the action, lieutenant Allen died of his wounds, and was buried at Plymouth with the honours of war. Previous to her capture, the Argus had taken 19 vessels, most of them in St. George's Channel.

In recording the loss of the Chesapeake and Argus we have had to lament the still greater loss of their gallant commanders. We have now to record an event, at the remembrance of which tears for our loss mingle with exultations for our success.

§ 7. On the first of September, the United States brig Enterprize, commanded by lieutenant William Burrows, sailed from Portsmouth on a cruize. On the morning of the 3d, Burrows discovered a schooner, which was chased into Portland harbour, where the Enterprize was brought to anchor. Having received information of several privateers being off Manhagan, he weighed anchor and swept out the following morning, and stood for that place. Next day a large brig of war was discovered, to which chase was immediately given. The enemy fired several guns, and stood for the Enterprize, with four ensigns hoisted. After maneuvering and reconnoitering for some time, for the purpose of discovering the force of the enemy, Burrows, about three in the afternoon, shortened sail, tacked, and ran down, with the intention of bringing her to close action. At 20 minutes after three the firing commenced from both vessels, within half pistol shot. The action continued for about a quarter of an hour, when the Enterprize ranged ahead of the enemy, rounded to, and raked her. Shortly after the main-topmast and top-sail yard of the enemy came down. The foresail of the Enterprize was then set, and she took a position on the starboard bow of the enemy, and continued to rake her, until, about 40 minutes after the commencement of the action, the enemy ceased firing, and cried for quarters: their colours being nailed to the masts, could not be hauled down.

.

The prize proved to be the British brig Boxer, of 14 guns. The number of her crew could not be ascertained, but 64 prisoners were taken, including 17 wounded. Captain Hull, in a letter to commodore Bainbridge, describing the state of the Boxer when brought into port, says that there was every rea

son to believe that there were 100 men on board. On board the Enterprize there was only one killed and thirteen wounded, two of whom died of their wounds.

Lieutenant Burrows fell in the commencement of the action; he, however, refused to be carried below, but, raising his head, requested that the flag might never be struck. When the sword of the vanquished enemy was presented to the dying conqueror, he clasped his hands and said, "I am satisfied; I die contented;" and then, and not till then, would he consent to be carried below, where every attention was paid to save his life, but in vain. A few hours after the victory he breathed his last.— Captain Blythe, the commander of the Boxer, also fell in the commencement of the action, having received a cannon shot through the body. His remains, in company with those of Burrows, were brought to Portland, where the two commanders were interred, side by side, with military honours.

The

The Boxer was so much damaged in her sails, rigging, spars, hull, &c. as to render it difficult to carry her into port. Enterprize received but trifling injury. On an examination of the prize, she was adjudged wholly to the captors, agreeably to law, as a vessel of superior force.

8. On the 23d of April, the President frigate, commanded by commodore Rodgers, sailed from Boston. On the 30th he took his departure from President road, in company with the Congress, commanded by captain Smith. On the 3d of May, while in chase of a British brig of war, near the shoal of George's Bank, they passed to windward of three sail, two of which, from their appearance, and from information previously received, were supposed to be the La Hogue, 74, the Nymph frigate, and a merchant brig. After getting clear of George's Bank they continued along east southwardly, in the direction of the southern edge of the Gulf Stream, until the 8th of May, when the President parted company with the Congress, the latter being in chase of a vessel, which proved to be an American merchantman. After parting company, Rodgers shaped his course, as near as the wind would permit, to intercept the enemy's West India commerce passing to the southward of the Grand Bank, Not meeting with any thing in this direction except American vessels from Lisbon and Cadiz, he next pursued a route to the northward, so as to cross the tracks of the West India, Halifax, Quebec, and St. John's trade. Not meeting any thing in this route, however, after reaching the latitude of 38° N., he steered to the S. E. towards the Azores, off which, in different directions, he continued until the 6th of June, without meeting a single en

emy's vessel. At this time, falling in with an American ship bound to Cadiz, and receiving information that she had, four days before, passed an enemy's convoy from the West Indies, bound to England, Rodgers crowded sail to the N. E., and, although disappointed in falling in with the convoy, nevertheless made four captures, between the 9th and 13th of June.

Being now in the latitude of 46° N., and longitude 28° W., Rodgers shaped a course that afforded a prospect of falling in with vessels bound to Newfoundland from St. George's Channel, by the way of Cape Clear, as well as others that might pass north about to the northward of Ireland; to his astonishment. however, in all this route, he did not meet with a single vessel, until he made the Shetland Islands, and even off there nothing but Danish vessels, trading to England, under British licences. A considerable portion of their provisions and water being now expended, it became necessary to replenish these, previous to determining what course to pursue next; accordingly, for this purpose, they put into North Bergen on the 27th June; but were not able to obtain any thing but water, there being an unusual scarcity of bread in every part of Norway, and at the time not more in Bergen than a bare sufficiency for its inhabitants for four or five weeks. After replenishing his water, Rodgers stretched over towards the Orkney islands, and thence towards the North Cape, for the purpose of intercepting a convoy of twenty-five or thirty sail, which it was said would leave Archangel about the middle of July, under the protection of two brigs or two sloops of war. In this object, however, he was disappointed by a line of battle ship and frigate making their appearance off the North Cape on the 19th of July, just as he was in momentary expectation of meeting the convoy. On discovering the ships of war, Rodgers stood towards them to ascertain their character, when he hauled by the wind on the opposite tack to avoid them; but, owing to faint, variable winds, calms, and entire day-light, the sun in that latitude, at that season, appearing at midnight several degrees above the horizon, they were enabled to continue the chase upwards of eighty hours; during which time, owing to different changes of the wind, they were brought quite as near as was desirable.

Disapppointed in meeting with the convoy, Rodgers now steered to gain the direction of the trade passing out of and into the Irish channel. In this position, between the 25th of July and 2d of August, he made three captures, when, finding that the enemy had a superior force in that vicinity, he made a circuit round Ireland, and then steered for the banks of Newfoundland, near which he made two more captures, and by the latter one

learned that a 74 and a frigate were on the eastern part of the bank, only a few miles to the westward; he, however, did not fall in with them.

ren.

On the 23d of September, to the southward of Nantucket shoals, Rodgers fell in with and captured, in a very singular manner, the British schooner Highflyer, tender to admiral WarOn approaching the schooner she hoisted a private signal, which was answered by the President, by a signal which fortunately proved to be the British one for that day, on seeing which the Highflyer immediately bore up, and was boarded by one of the officers of the President in a British uniform. By this stratagem commodore Rodgers gained possession of the British private signals, and admiral Warren's instructions, by which was discovered the number of British squadrons on the American coast, with their force and relative positions. He was thus enabled to avoid them, and on the 26th of September arrived safely at Newport, Rhode-Island.

During the cruise, the President captured twelve British vessels, three of which were ransomed and despatched to England as cartels, with 216 prisoners on parole. The British government, however, refused to sanction the terms of exchange entered into and signed by their officers, assigning as the reason, that "such transactions are inconsistent with the established understanding between the two countries." The President, on her arrival, had fifty-five prisoners on board.

The Congress, after parting with the President, continued her cruise until the 12th of December, when she arrived at Portsmouth, N. H. She captured two British brigs of ten guns each, one of which was destroyed, and the other, after being dismantled, was given up to the prisoners, who were discharged on parole, and furnished with provisions, &c., sufficient to carry them to the West Indies. She likewise captured a British ship laden with wine and potatoes, which was destroyed after the greater part of her cargo was taken out.

After parting with the President, the Congress ran to the southward; and, crossing the equator, put into Seara, on the Brazil coast. After watering, she beat against a strong wind and current, up to Fernando de Noronha, where she again watered; and then proceeded to the eastward, in hopes to fall in with some Indiamen. She cruised as far as 180 W. from 6° S. to 6o N. under easy sail, made the Island of St. Pauls; but until her return to Fernando de Noronha, which was nearly three months, never saw a vessel. She then returned to Seara, where she took in a quantity of cassada, jerked beef, &c. and ran under two reefed topsails to latitude 44° N., passing near Ha