appearance off North Cape on the 19th of July, just as he was in momentary expectation of meeting the convoy. On first discovering these two vessels, owing to the haziness of the weather, he could not ascertain their character with precision. He accordingly stood towards them until he discovered their strength, when he hauled by the wind on the opposite tack to avoid them. But owing to faint variable winds, and light for an entire day, for in that latitude and season the sun appeared above the horizon at midnight, the British vessels were enabled to continue the chase upwards of eighty hours. At times, owing to changes of the wind in favour of the British vessels, they were brought near to the President. When these vessels gave chase to the President, the privateer Scourge of New York was in company, but so intent were the British in their chase of the former, that the latter escaped.

Having but a very small quantity of provisions on board his vessel, commodore Rodgers determined to proceed to a more westerly station after having escaped from the superior British force that so long chased him. He accordingly steered to intercept the trade passing out of and into the Irish channel where on the 25th of July and 2d of August he made three captures; but receiving information that the British had a superior force in the vicinity, he deemed it expedient to change his cruising ground. After having made a circuit round Ireland, and having come into the latitude of Cape Clear, he steered for the Banks of Newfoundland, near to which he

captured two more vessels: from one of these he obtained information that the Bellerophon, a seventyfour, and the Hyperian frigate, were on the eastern part of the bank, only a few miles to the westward of him. He however did not fall in with them. From this place the commodore directed his cruise to the United States, without seeing a single vessel until the 22d of September, when, being near the south shoal of Nantucket, he met with a Swedish brig, and American cartel. By this time the provisions, and particularly the bread on board the President, was so nearly expended, that it became indispensably necessary for the commodore to put into the first convenient port, after obtaining information of the position of the British cruisers. This he obtained by the capture of his Britanick Majesty's schooner High Flyer, on the 23d, with which vessel he arrived safe at Newport.

During this cruise commodore Rodgers captured twelve vessels of which the crews amounted to two

hundred and seventy-one persons. He rendered very effectual service to his country by harassing the British commerce, and forcing them to detach a great number of their vessels of war in an unsuccessful pursuit.*

It is a circumstance, somewhat singular, that, since the rencounter with the Belvidere, commodore Rodgers has never met with an English frigate that was not in company with a seventy-four; notwithstanding he cruised in the European seas, and coasted the * Clark's Naval History, vol. i. p. 213-214

shores of Britain and Ireland. He twice traversed over more than half the globe, without meeting a British frigate; and though he sought them in their own seas, and along their own shores, he never had the good fortune to bring one of them to action. Yet, with all this, commodore Rodgers has suffered no diminution of reputation. It is creditable to the American character, to cherish and uphold the high reputation of a meritorious officer, notwithstanding opportunities have not been given him to display his skill and prowess against an equal force of the enemy.

CRUISE OF THE CONGRESS.

THE Congress, after parting with the President, on the 8th of May, proceeded, in a circuitous direction, to the southeast, crossing the equator, passing the northeast coast of Brazil, and thence homeward. During this cruise, captain Smith made prizes of three valuable vessels of the enemy, two of which were destroyed, after taking out the most valuable part of their cargoes; and the other given up to the prisoners, who were paroled. He arrived in Portsmouth harbour on the 14th of December.

ARGUS AND PELICAN.

CAPTAIN ALLEN, in the brig Argus, sailed from the United States for France, having on board Mr. Crawford, minister to the court of Paris, in May, 1813. He arrived there in the short passage of twenty-three days, during which he captured and destroyed a British schooner of six guns.

After remaining at L'Orient a few days, he proceeded on a cruise in the British channel, where he captured twenty English vessels; the crews of which he treated with humanity and generosity.

The injury which captain Allen did to the British commerce is, in some of their papers, estimated to the amount of two millions. While employed in burning, sinking and destroying the enemy's property, he was peculiarly careful to distinguish his character from those who depredated for selfish purposes only. The property of the passengers was sacred from hostility; not an article of that kind would he suffer to be touched. The passengers were allowed to go below, and to take what they claimed as their own, and no hands belonging to the Argus were permitted to inspect them while they were employed in so doing.

On one occasion, when a passenger had left his surtout behind him, it was sent after him, in the boat: on another occasion, captain Allen ordered one of his hands, who was detected in the act of some petty