lic showed Spanish colours, and the Wasp immediately displayed the American ensign and pendant. At 32 minutes past eleven, the Wasp came down to windward, on her larboard side, within about 60 yards, and hailed. The enemy hauled down the Spanish colours, hoisted the British ensign, and opened a fire of cannon and musketry. This the Wasp instantly returned, and coming nearer to the enemy, the action became close, and without intermission. In four or five minutes the maintopmast of the Wasp was shot away, and falling down with the maintopsail yard, across the larhoard fore and foretopsail braces, rendered her head yards unmanageable during the rest of the action. In two or three minutes more her gaft and mizen-topgallantsail were shot away. Still she continued a close and constant fire. The sea was so rough that the muzzle of the Wasp's guns were frequently in the water. The Americans fired as the ship's side was going down, so that their shot struck on the enemy's deck or below it, while the English fired as the vessel rose, and thus her balls chiefly pierced the rigging, or were thrown away. The Wasp now shot ahead of the Frolic, raked her, and then resumed her position on her larboard bow. Her fire was now obviously attended with such success, and that of the Frolic so slackened, that Capt. Jones did not wish to board her, lest the roughness of the sea might endanger both vessels; but in the course of a few minutes more, every brace of the Wasp was shot away, and her rigging so much torn to pieces, that he was afraid that his masts, being unsupported, would go by the board, and the Frolic be able to escape. He thought, therefore, the best chance of securing her was to board, and decide the contest at once. With this view he wore ship, and running down upon the enemy, the vessels struck each other, the Wasp's side rubbing along the Frolic's bow, so that her jibboom came in between the main and mizzen rigging of the Wasp, directly over the heads of Capt. Jones and the first lieutenant, Mr. Biddle, who were at that moment standing together near the capstan. The Frolic lay so fair for raking, that they decided not to board until they had given a closing broadside. Whilst they were loading for this, so near were the two vessels, that the rammers of the Wasp were pushed against the Frolic's sides, and two of her guns went through the bow ports of the Frolic, and swept the whole length of her deck. At this moment, Jack Lang, a seaman of the Wasp, a gallant fellow, who had been once impressed by a British man of war, jumped on a gun with his cutlass, and was springing on board the Frolic Capt. Jones, wishing to fire again before boarding, called him down; but his impetuosity could not be restrained, and

John Lang is a native of Newbrunswick, in Newjersey. We mention with great pleasure the name of this brave American seaman, as a proof that conspicuous valour is contïwed w no rank in he naval service.

dead.

SKETCHES OF

The

he was already on the bowsprit of the Frolic; when, seeing the ardour and enthusiasm of the Wasp's crew, Lieut. Biddle mounted on the hammock cloth to board. lowed: but Lieut. Biddle's feet got entangled in the rigging of At this signal the crew folthe enemy's bowsprit, and midshipman Baker, in his ardour to get on board, laying hold of his coat, he fell back on the Wasp's deck. He sprang up, and as the next swell of the sea brought the Frolic nearer, he got on her bowsprit, where Lang and another seaman were already. He passed them on the forecastle, and was surprised at seeing not a single man alive on the Frolic's deck, except the seaman at the wheel, and three officers. deck was slippery with blood, and strewed with the bodies of the As he went forward, the captain of the Frolic, with two other officers, who were standing on the quarter-deck, threw down their swords, and made an inclination of their bodies, denoting that they had surrendered. At this moment the colours were still flying, as, probably, none of the seamen of the Frolic, would dare to go into the rigging for fear of the musketry of the Wasp. Lieut. Biddle, therefore, jumped into the rigging himself and hauled down the British ensign, and possession was taken of the Frolic, in forty-three minutes after the first fire. She was in a shocking condition: the birth-deck, particularly, was crowded with dead, and wounded, and dying; there being but a small portion of the Frolic's crew who had escaped. Capt. Jones instantly sent on board his surgeon's mate, and all the b blankets of the Frolic were brought from her slop room for the comi fort of the wounded. To increase this confusion, both the Frolic's masts soon fell, covering the dead and every thing on deck, and she lay a complete wreck.

en.....

and

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Sp

cales,

It now appeared that the Frolic mounted 16 thirty-tw pound carronades, 4 twelve pounders on the main-deck, and 2 t welve pound carronades. She was, therefore, superior to the Wasp, by exactly four twelve pounders. The number of men on board, as stated by the officers of the Frolic, was one hundred and t the number of seamen on board the Wasp was one hundred two; but it could not be ascertained, whether in this one hu dred and ten were included marines and officers; for the W. had, besides her one hundred and two men, officers and marin making the whole crew about one hundred and thirty-five. Wh is, however, decicive, as to their comparative force is, that the ficers of the Frolic acknowledge that they had as many men as they knew what to do with, and, in fact the Wasp could have spared fifteen men. There was, therefore, on the most favoura ble view, at least an equality of men, and an inequality of fou guns. The disparity of loss was much greater. bee of killed and wounded on board the Frolic could not be prer The exact num th cisely determined; but from the observations of our officers, and

the declarations of those of the Frolic, the number could not be less than about thirty killed, including two officers, and of the wounded between forty and fifty; the captain and second lieutenant being of the number. The Wasp had five men killed and five slightly wounded.

All hands were now employed in clearing the deck, burying the dead, and taking care of the wounded, when Capt. Jones sent orders to Lieut. Biddle to proceed to Charleston, or any southern port of the United States: and, as there was a suspicious sail to windward, the Wasp would continue her cruise. The ships then parted. The suspicious sail was now coming down very fast. At first it was supposed that she was one of the convoy, who had all fled during the engagement, and who now came for the purpose of attacking the prize. The guns of the Frolic were, therefore, loaded, and the ship cleared for action; but the enemy, as she advanced, proved to be a seventy-four.....the Poictiers, Capt. Beresford. She fired a shot over the Frolic; passed her; overtook the Wasp, the disabled state of whose rigging prevented her from escaping; and then returned to the Frolic, who could, of course, make no resistance. The Wasp and Frolic were carri ed into Bermuda.*

Biography of Capt. Jones.....JACOB JONES, Esq. of the United States' navy, was born about the year 1770, near the village of Smyrna, in the county of Kent, state of Delaware. His father was an independent and respectable farmer, of excellent moral and religious character. His mother was of a good family, of the name of Jones; an amiable and interesting woman; she died when the subject of this memoir was yet an infant. Between two and three years afterwards his father married again, with a Miss Holt, grand-daughter of the honourable Ryvez Holt, formerly chief justice of the supreme court of Delaware; or, as it was then denominated," the lower counties on Delaware." Shortly after this second marriage his father died, when this his only child was scarcely four years of age. It was the good fortune of our hero to be left under the care of a step-mother, who had all the kind feelings of a natural parent. The affection which this excellent woman had borne towards the father, was, on his death, transferred to the child. By her he was nurtured from infancy to manhood, with a truly maternal care and tenderness. At an early age he was placed at a school, and his proficiency in learning was equal to her most anxious wishes. After becoming well acquainted with the general branches of an English education, he was transferred to a grammar school at Lewes in Sussex county, conducted by the learned and pious Dr. Matthew Wilson. Under his direction he read the classics with much assiduity, and became well acquainted with the Latin and Greek languages. The

• We are indebted to the Pa Folio for the foregoing account of the capture of the Frolic.

writer of this memoir distinctly remembers also, that in the geographical lessons he continually bore off the palm, and received, beyond all others, repeated proofs of approbation from his preceptor. At the age of eighteen he left Lewes Academy, and entered on the study of physic and surgery, under Dr. Sykes, an eminent physician and surgeon of Dover in the county of Kent. With him he diligently prosecuted his studies for four years, after which he attended the usual courses of medical lectures of the University of Pennsylvania, and then returned to Dover to commence the exercise of his profession.

He did not, however, continue long in the practice. He found the field already engrossed by a number of able and experienced gentlemen of the faculty, among whom was the late lamented Dr. Miller of New York. Discouraged by the scanty employment that is commonly the lot of the young physician, and impatient of an inactive life, he determined to abandon the profession for the present, and seek some more productive occupation. This resolution was a matter of much regret among the elder physicians. They entertained a high opinion of his medical acquirements, and considered him as promising to become a distinguished and skilful member of their body. Gov. Clayton, (who was himself an eminent physician) seeing that he was fixed in his determination, conferred upon him the clerkship of the supreme court of the state of Delaware, for the county of Kent.

In this office he continued for some time, but the sedentary nature of its duties was uncongenial with his health and habits; he longed to mingle in more active scenes, and possessed that ardent spirit of enterprise that can never rest contented with the tranquil ease of common life. With a certain bravery of resolution, therefore, or rather a noble unconcern, he turned his back upon the comforts and emoluments of office; and resolved upon a measure as indicative of the force of his character, as it was decisive of his future fortunes. This was to enter as a midshipman into the service of his country, in the year 1799, when menaced with a war with France.

He was at this time almost twenty-nine years of age, highly respeeted for the solidity of his understanding and his varied ac quirements; it may readily be imagined, therefore, how greatly his friends were dissatisfied at seeing him in a manner taking a retrograde step in life, entering upon that tedious probation which the naval service peculiarly requires, end accepting a grade which is generally allotted to boys and stripplings. It was in vain, however, to remonstrate against a resolution, which, once formed, never vibrated. Jones had determined on embracing the profession; he had weighed all the peculiar inconveniences and sacrifices incident to his determination, and had made up his mind to encounter and surmount them all. His friends could only con

sole themselves with the reflection, that if courage, activity, and hardihood could ensure naval success, Jones was peculiarly fitted for the life he had adopted; and it is probable they felt some degree of admiration for that decision of character, which, in the pursuit of what he conceived a laudable object, could enable him to make such large sacrifices of personal pride and convenience.

The first cruises which he made in his new capacity were under the father of our infant navy, the late Com. Barry, from whom he derived great instruction in the theory and practice of his profession, and experienced the utmost kindness and civility. He was a midshipman on board the frigate United States, when she bore to France Chief Justice Ellsworth and Gen. Davie, as envoys extraordinary to the French Republic. He was next on board of the Ganges, as midshipman, and during the whole intervening period between his appointment, and the war with Tripoli, he was sedulously employed in obtaining that nautical skill for which he is at present celebrated.

On the breaking out of the war with Tripoli, he was stationed on board of the frigate Philadelphia, under the command of the gallant Bainbridge. The disaster which befel that ship and her crew before Tripoli, forms a solemn page in our naval history; attoned for, however, by the brilliant achievements to which it gave rise. Twenty months of severe captivity among a barbarous people, and in a warm climate, neither broke the spirit nor impaired the constitution of our hero. Blest by nature with vigorous health and an invincible resolution, when relieved from bondage by the bravery of his countrymen, he returned home full of life and ardour. He was soon after promoted to a lieutenancy. This grade he had merited before his confinement in Tripoli, but older warrant officers had stood in the way of his preferment.

He was now for some time employed on the Orleans station, where he conducted himself with his usual judgment and propriety, and was a favorite in the polite circles of the Orleans and Mississippi territories. He was shortly after appointed to the command of the brig Argus, stationed for the protection of our commerce on the southern maritime frontier. In this situation he acted with vigilance and fidelity, and though there were at one time insidious suggestions to the contrary, it has appeared that he conformed to his instructions, promoted the public interest, and gave entire satisfaction to the government.

In 1811, Capt. Jones was transferred by the secretary of the navy to the command of the sloop of war the Wasp, mounting eighteen twenty-four pound carronades, and was despatched, in the spring of 1812, with communications from our government to its functionaries at the courts of St. Cloud and St. James. Before he returned from this voyage, war had been declared by the United States against Great Britain. Capt. Jones refitted his ship