which was still in sight to leeward. At half past 8, found her standing towards us, with her starboard tacks close hauled with top-gallant sails set and colours flying. At fifty minutes past 8, ranged close along side to windward of her, on opposite tacks, and exchanged broadsides-wore immediately under her stern and raked her with a broadside; she then crowded all sail and endeavoured to escape by runninghauled on board our tacks, set spanker, and Aving jib in chase. At half past 9, commenced firing on her from our starboard bow chaser; gave her several shot, which cut her spars and rigging considerably. At 10, P. M., finding they could not escape, fired a gun, struck her colours, and yielded. Weimmediately took possession of his Britannic majesty's ship Levant, honourable captain George Douglass, mounting twentyone guns. At 1, A. M., the damages of our rigging was repaired, sails shifted, and the ship in fighting condition.

Minutes of the chase of the United States' frigate Constitution,

by an English squadron of three Ships, from out the harbour of Port Praya, Island of St. Jago.

Commences with fresh breezes and thick-foggy weather. At five minutes past 12, discovered a large ship through the fog standing in for Port Praya. At eight minutes past 12 discovered two other large ships astern of her, also standing in for the port. From their general appearance, supposed them to be one of the enemy's squadrons, and from the little respect hitherto paid by them to neutral waters, I deemed it most prudent to put to sea. The signal was made to the Cyane and Levant to get under weigh. At 12, A. M., with our top-sails set, we cut our cable and got under weigh (when the Portuguese opened a fire on us from several of their batteries on shore), the prize-ships following our motions, and stood out of the harbour of Port Praya, close under East Point, passing the enemy's squadron about gun-shot to windward of them; crossed our top-gallant yards and set foresail, mainsail, spanker, flying jib, and top-gallant sails. The enemy seeing us under weigh, tacked ship and made all sail in chase of us. As far as we could judge of their rates, from the thickness of the weather, supposed them two ships of the line and one frigate. At half past meridian cut away the boats towing astern, first cutter and gig. At 1, P. M., found our sail. ing about equal with the ships on our lee quarter, but the frigate luffing up gaining our wake and rather dropping astern of us, finding the Cyane dropping astern and to leeward, and the frigate gaining on her fast, I found it impossible to save her if she continued on the same course, without having the Constitution brought to action by their whole force. I made the signal at ten minutes past 1, P. M., to her to tack ship, which was complied with. This maneuvre, I conceived, would detach one of the enemi's ships in pursuit of her, while at she same time, from her position, she would be enabled to reach the anchorage at Port Praya, before the detached ship could come up with her; but if they did not tack after her, it would afford her an opportunity to double their rear, and make her escape before the wind. They all continued in full chase of the Levant and this ship; the ship on our lee quarter firing, by divisions, broadsides, her shot falling short of us. At 3, P. M., by our having dropped the Levant considerably, her situation became (from the position of the enemy's frigate) similar to the Cyane. It became necessary to separate also from the Levant, or risk this ship being brought to action to cover her. I made the signal at five minutes past 3, for her to tack, which was complied with. At twelve minutes past 3, the whole of the enemy's squadron tacked in pursuit of the Levant and gave up the pursuit of this ship. 'l his sacrifice of the Levant became necessary for the preservation of the Constitution. Sailing-master Hixon, midshipman Varnum, one boatswain's-mate, and 12 men were absent on duty in the fifth cutter to bring the cartel brig under our stern.

CAPTURE OF THE PENGUIN,

Copy of a letter from Captain Biddle to commodore Decatur, dated United States' Sloop Hornet, of Tristan d'Acunha,

March 25, 1815. Sir,

I have the honour to inform you, that on the morning of the 23d instant, at half past ten, when about to anchor off the north end of the island of Tristan d'Acunha, a sail was seen io the southward and eastward, steering to the westward, the wind fresh from the south-south-west.-In a few minutes she had passed on to the westward so that we could not see her for the land, I immediately made sail for the westward, and shortly after geiting in sight of her again, perceived her to bear up before the wind. I hove too for her to ci me down to us. When she had approached near, I filled the main-top-sail, and continued to yaw the ship,

.

while she continued to come down, wearing occasionally to prevent her passing under our stern. Ai i 40, P. M., being within nearly musket-shot distance, she hauled her wind on the starboard tack, hoisted English colours and fired a gun. We immediately luffed too, hoisted our ensign, and gave the enemy a broadside. The action being thus commenced, a quick and well-directed fire was kept up from this ship, the enemy gradually drifting nearer to us, when at 1 55 minutes he bore up, apparently to run us on board. As soon as I perceived he would certainly fall on board, I called the boarders so as to be ready to repel any attempt to board us. At the instant every officer and man repaired to the quarter deck, where the two vessels were coming into contact, and eagerly pressed me to permit them to board the enemy; but this I would not permit, as it was evident from the commencement of the action that our fire was greatly superior both in quickness and effect. The enemy's bowsprit came in between our main and mizen rigging, on our starboard side, affording him an opportunity to board us, if such was his design, but no attempt was made.-There was a considerable swell on, and as the sea lifted us ahead, the enemy's bowsprit carried away our mizen shrouds, stern-davits, and spanker-boom, and he hung upon our larboard quarter. At this moment an officer, who was afterwards recognized to be Mr. M‘Donald, the first lieutenant, and the then commanding officer, called out that they had surrendered. I directed the marines and musketry-men to cease firing, and, while on the taffrail asking if they had surrendered, I received a wound in the neck. The enemy just then got clear of us, and his fore-mast and bowsprit being both gone, and perceiving us wearing to give him a fresh broadside, he again called out that he had surrendered. It was with difficulty I could restrain my crew from firing into him again, as he had certainly fired into us after having surrendered. From the firing of the first gun, to the last time the enemy cried out he had surrendered, was exactly 22 minutes by the watch. She proved to be his Britannic majesty's brig Penguin, mounting 16 32pound carronades, two long 12s, a 12-pound carronade on the top-gallant forecastle, with swivels on the capstern in the tops. She had a spare port forward, so as to fight both her long guns of a side. She sailed from England in September last. She was shorter upon deck than this ship by two feet, but she had a greater length of keel, greater breadth of beam, thicker sides, and higher bulwarks, than this ship, and was in all respects a remarkakly fine vessel of her class. The enemy

acknowledge a complement of 132; 12 of them supernume rary marines from the Medway, 74, received on board in consequence of their having been ordered to cruise for the American privateer Young Wasp. They acknowledge, also, a loss of 14 killed and 28 wounded; but Mr. Mayo, who was in charge of the prize, assures me that the number of killed was certainly greater. Among the killed is captain Dickenson, who fell at the close of the action, and the boatswain; among the wounded, is the second lieutenant, purser, and two midshipmen; each of the midshipmen lost a leg. We received on board, in all, 118 prisoners, four of whom have since died of their wounds. Having removed, the prisoners, and taken on board such provisions and stores as would be useful to us, I scuttled the Penguin, this morning before daylight, and she went down. As she was completely riddled by our shot, her fore-mast and bowsprit both gone, and her main-mast so crippled as to be incapable of being secured, it seemed unadvisable, at this distance from home, to attempt sending her to the United States.

This ship did not receive a single round shot in her hull, nor any material wound in her spars; the rigging and sails were very much cut; but having bent a new suit of sails, and knotted and secured our rigging, we are now completely ready, in all respects, for any service. We were eight men short of complement, and had nine upon the sick list the morning of the action.

Inclosed is a list of killed and wounded. I lament to state that lieutenant Conner is wounded dangerously. I feel great solicitude on his account, as he is an officer of much promise, and his loss would be a serious loss to the service.

It is a most pleasing part of my duty to acquaint you, that the conduct of lieutenants Conner and Newton, Mr. Mayo, acting-lieutenant Brownlow of the marines, sailing-master Rommey, and the other officers, seamen, and marines I have the honour to command, was in the highest degree, creditable to them, and calls for my warmest recommendation. I cannot indeed do justice to their merits. The satisfaction which was diffused throughout the ship when it was ascer tained that the stranger was an enemy's sloop of war, and the alacrity with which every one repaired to quarters, fully assured me that their conduct in action would be marked with coolness and intrepidity.

I have the honour to be, your obedient servant
J. BIDDLE.

CAPTURE OF THE PRESIDENT FRIGATE.

Copy of a letter from Commodore Decatur, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated his Britannic Majesty's ship Endymion, at sea, January 18, 1815.

Sir,

The painful duty of detailing to you the particular causes which preceded and led to the capture of the late United States' frigate President, by a squadron of his Britannic majesty's ships (as per margin), has devolved upon me. In my communication of the 14th, I made known to you my intention of proceeding to sea on that evening. Owing to some mistake of the pilots, the ship, in going out, grounded on the bar, where she continued to strike heavily for an hour and a half; although she had broken several of her rudder braces, and had received such other material injury as to render her return into port desirable, I was unable to do so from the strong westerly wind which was then blowing. It being now high water it became necessary to force her over the bar before the tide fell; in this we succeeded by 10 o'clock, when we shaped our course along the shore of Long Island for fifty miles; and then steered S. E. by E. At 5 o'clock, three ships were discovered ahead, we immediately hauled up the ship and passed two miles to the northward of them. At daylight we discovered four ships in chase, one on each quarter, and two astern, the leading ship of the enemy a razee-she commenced a fire upon us, but without effect. At meridian, the wind became light and baffling, we had increased our distance from the razee, but the next ship astern, which was also a large ship, had gained and continued to gain upon us considerably; we immediately occupied all hands to lighten ship, by starting water, cutting away the anchors, throwing overboard provisions, cables, spare spars, boats, and every article that could be got at, keeping the sails wet from the royals down. At 3, we had the wind quite light; the enemy, who had now been joined by a brig, had a strong breeze, and were coming up with us rapidly. The Endymion (mounting 50 guns, 24-pounders on the main deck) had now approached us within gun-shot, and had commenced a fire with her bow guns, which we returned from our stern. At 5 o'clock, she had obtained a position on our starboard quarter within half point blank shot, on which neither our stern nor quarter guns would bear; we were now steering E. by N., the wind N. W,

VOL. IV.

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