respects to your commander; the respects of Captain Tingey, of
the American navy; and tell him from me, that A PUBLIC SHIP
CARRIES NO PROTECTION FOR HER MEN BUT HER FLAG! I may not
succeed in a contest with you, but I will die at my quarters
before a man shall be taken from my ship!"

The crew gave three cheers, hastened with alacrity to their guns,
and called for "Yankee Doodle." The captain of the Surprise,
although one of the bravest officers in the British service, on
hearing the determination of the Yankee, chose rather to continue
on his cruise than do battle for dead men.

In less than an hour after the strange sail was seen from the
decks of the Dolphin the surmises of the captain were proved to
be correct. The stranger was undoubtedly an English brig-of-war
of the largest class. We could see the port-holes, through which
the cannon protruded, and distinguish the gleam of muskets and
cutlasses, and other instruments of destruction. The sails were
so large and so neatly fitted, and the hull was so symmetrical in
its model, and the brig glided along so gracefully over the
waves, that I was charmed with her appearance, and could hardly
express my satisfaction.

We continued on our course, with the American ensign flying, our
captain hoping that this emissary of John Bull, seeing the
character of our vessel, which no one could mistake, would suffer
us to pass on our way unmolested, when a volume of flame and
smoke issued from the bow of the sloop-of-war, and a messenger,
in the shape of a cannon ball, came whistling over the waves,
and, after crossing our bows in a diagonal direction, and