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310 carry specie for the payment of the interest on the debt due to Holland. Having despatched his business with that government, Hull proceeded to Portsmouth, where he remained several days that he might communicate with the American charge d'affaires, then accredited to the court of St. James. There having been some difficulty while in port about deserters, and two English ships having anchored alongside, the " Constitution " changed her position for another, to which she was followed by one of the frigates. Capt. Hull, not intending to be caught unprepared like Com. Barron, in the " Chesapeake," ordered the ship cleared for action. The lanterns were lighted fore and aft, and the men went to quarters by beat of drum. Cooper remarks : " It is not easy to portray the enthusiasm that existed in this noble ship, every officer and man on board believing that the affair of the 'Chesapeake' was to be repeated so far, at least, as the assault was concerned. The manner in which the crew took hold of the gun-tackles has been described as if they were about to jerk the guns through the ship's sides. An officer who was passing through the batteries observed to the men that if there was occasion to fight, it would be in their quarrel, and that he expected good service from them. ’Let the quarter-deck look out for the colors,' was the answer, 'and we will look out for the guns.' In short, it was not possible for a ship's company to be in better humor to defend the honor of the flag when the drum beat the retreat and the boatswain piped the people to the capstan-bars." The day succeeding the night on which the ship sailed for France, several men-of- war were seen in chase. The " Constitution " out- sailed all the frigates save one. After leading her a long distance ahead of the others, Capt. Hull hove to, beat to quarters, and waited to learn the Englishman's business, remarking to a lieutenant : "If that fellow wants to fight, we won't disappoint him." The frigate came close to the " Constitu- tion," but no hostilities were offered, and the American ship proceeded on her way to Cherbourg.

Five days after tardy justice was rendered to American honor by the return of two seamen taken by the " Leopard " from the unfortunate frigate " Chesapeake " in 1807, war with Great Britain was declared. At the beginning of hostilities we had, in addition to seven frigates, only fifteen sloops- of-war and smaller vessels lying in the naval dock-yards, with which to cope with England's 1,060 sail, 800 of which were in commission. Against such overwhelming odds did the conflict begin that, but for the spirited protest of Bainbridge and Stewart, the administration would have kept our ships in port to prevent their capture. On her return from Europe, the " Constitution " went into the Chesapeake, was cleaned and newly coppered, and, shipping a new crew, proceeded to sea under orders to join the squadron of Com. Rodgers at New York. " You. are not," continued his order, " voluntarily to encounter a force superior to your own." It seems incredible that an American sec- retary of the navy could issue such cowardly in- structions, but the original is in the writer's pos- session. On 19 July, when five days out and under easy canvas, Hull came in sight of four sail, and soon after a fifth, which proved to be an English fleet under Com. Broke, cruising off Sandy Hook. The enemy immediately gave chase, and, the sea being smooth, with light and baffling winds, and being on soundings, Capt. Hull resorted to the novel expedient of kedging by means of umbrellas, long cables, and the use of boats. For a time this -marvellous movement of the American frigate through the water was undiscovered by the Eng- lish, who were not slow to imitate the expedient. At every "cat's-paw " the "Constitution" struggled for the weather gage, in order to keep her

pursuers astern and to the leeward. Sails were wet down fore and aft, braces kept in hand to whip up the boats without delay, some of the water pumped out to lighten her, and, in short, everything that the ablest seamanship could devise was done to save the frigate. For three days and three nights the chase was continued, the crew of the " Constitution " exhibiting extraordinary endurance and spirit, until finally a heavy squall came up, and, as it approached our ship, her sails were clewed up and clewed down almost instantaneously, and when the weight of the wind was received she sheeted home, set all sail, and was flying before the breeze. Within half an hour of the time when the English were lost to sight the " Constitution " was in chase of a vessel, which, however, proved to be an American. The English themselves expressed admiration for the manner in which Hull escaped from their squadron. The praises bestowed for saving his ship induced him, soon after his arrival in Boston, to publish a modest and magnanimous card in which he gave a large portion of the credit to the officers and crew. His letter to Paul Ham- ilton, secretary of the navy, was especially gen- erous in its expressions.

Daily expecting orders from Washington, which never came, and impatient to measure strength with the enemy, Hull decided to go on a frigate- hunting cruise. It is now known that he was to have been superseded by Bainbridge, who ranked him, and that his instructions closed with these words, " Remain in Boston until further orders." Fortunately this letter was not received until Hull returned from his successful cruise. The " Con- stitution " put to sea, 2 Aug., and had she been captured, her commander would possibly have been shot for sailing without orders. After cruising to the north and east for a fortnight without making any important capture, the " Constitution " came in sight of a strange sail on Wednesday afternoon, 19 Aug., and immediately gave chase. Before five o'clock the stranger was known to be an Eng- lish frigate, and Hull, with colors flying, his ship cleared for action, and his crew at the guns, all double shotted, bore down on the enemy with the determination of making the affair short, sharp, and decisive. He fired but three bow guns in ap- proaching, while the enemy kept up a steady dis- charge of broadsides. It was now six o'clock, the ships were within a few hundred yards of each other, several of the "Constitution's" crew had been killed or wounded, and all on board were so impatient to open fire that only their perfect discipline could restrain them. Lieut. Morris three times asked permission to open on the enemy, but each time was answered, " Not yet, sir." At length the order was given, and, when within less than fifty yards of the " Guerriere," the "• Constitution " fired her first broadside, following in quick sue-