she did the same, and we passed each other within half a musket.
A fellow hailed us in broken English and ordered the boat hoisted
out and the captain to come aboard, which he refused. He again
ordered our boat out and enforced his orders with a menace that
in case of refusal he would sink us, using at the same time the
vilest and most infamous language it is possible to conceive of.
. . . We hauled the ship to wind and as he passed poured a whole
broadside into him with great success. Sailing faster than we, he
ranged considerably ahead, tacked and again passed, giving us a
broadside and furious discharge of musketry, which he kept up
incessantly until the latter part of the engagement. His musket
balls reached us in every direction but his large shot either
fell short or went considerably over us while our guns loaded
with round shot and square bars of iron were plied so briskly and
directed with such good judgment that before he got out of range
we had cut his mainsail and foretopsail all to rags and cleared
his decks so effectively that when he bore away from us there
were scarcely ten men to be seen. He then struck his English flag
and hoisted the flag of The Terrible Republic and made off with
all the sail he could carry, much disappointed, no doubt, at not
being able to give us a fraternal embrace. We feel confidence
that we have rid the world of some infamous pests of society."

By this time, the United States was engaged in active hostilities
with France, although war had not been declared. The news of the
indignities which American commissions had suffered at the hands
of the French Directory had stirred the people to war pitch.
Strong measures for national defense were taken, which stopped
little short of war. The country rallied to the slogan, "Millions
for defense but not one cent for tribute," and the merchants of