tended to show no quarter, was about to rehoist his flag and to fight until he sunk, when the enemy desisted his attack ten minutes after the surrender.

The loss of the Essex is a sufficient testimony of the desperate bravery with which she was defended. Out of two hundred and fifty-five men which comprised her crew, fifty-eight were killed; thirty-nine wounded severely; twenty-seven slightly; and thirty-one missing, making in all one hundred and fiftyfour. She was completely cut to pieces, and so covered with the dead and dying, with mangled limbs, with brains and blood, and all the ghastly images of pain and death, that the officer who came on board to take possession of her, though accustomed to scenes of slaughter, was struck with sickening horrour, and fainted at the shocking spectacle.

Thousands of the inhabitants of Valparaiso were spectators of the battle, covering the neighbouring neights; for it was fought so near the shore that some of the shot even struck among the citizens, who in the eagerness of their curiosity, had ventured down upon the beach. Touched by the forlorn situation of the Essex, and filled with admiration at the unflagging spirit and persevering bravery of her commander and crew, a generous anxiety ran throughout the multitude for their fate: bursts of delight arose when, by any vicissitude of battle, or prompt expedient, a chance seemed to turn up in their favour, and the eager spectators were seen to wring their hands, and uttered groans of sympathy, when the transient hope was defeated, and the gal

lant little frigate once more became an unresisting object of deliberate slaughter.

Though, from the distance and positions which the enemy chose, this battle was chiefly fought on our part by six twelve pounders only, yet great damage was done to the assailing ships. Their masts and yards were badly crippled, their hulls much cut up; the Phoebe, especially, received eighteen twelve pound shot below her water line, some three feet under water. Their loss in killed and wounded was not ascertained, but must have been severe; the first lieutenant of the Phoebe was killed, and captain Tucker, of the Cherub, was severely wounded. It was with some difficulty that the Phoebe and the Essex could be kept afloat until they anchored the next morning in the port of Valparaiso.

Much indignation has been expressed against commodore Hillyar for his violation of the laws of nations, and of his private agreement with captain Porter, by attacking him in the neutral waters of Valparaiso. His cautious attack with a vastly superior force, on a crippled ship, which, relying on his forbearance, had placed herself in a most defenceless situation, and which for six weeks previous had offered him fair fight, on advantageous terms, though it may reflect great credit on his prudence, yet certainly furnishes no triumph to a brave and generous mind.

Captain Porter and his crew were paroled, and permitted to return to the United States in the Essex junior, her armament being previously taken out. On arriving off the port of New York, they were

overhaled by the Saturn razee, the authority of commodore Hillyar to grant a passport was questioned, and the Essex junior detained. Captain Porter then

gave up his parole,

told the boarding officer that he and considered himself a prisoner of war, and as such should use all means of escape. In consequence of this threat the Essex junior was ordered to remain all night under the lee of the Saturn, but the next morning captain Porter put off in his boat, though thirty miles from shore; and, notwithstanding he was pursued by the Saturn, effected his escape, and landed safely on Long Island. His reception in the United States has been such as his great services and distinguished valour deserved. The various interesting and romantick rumours that had reached this country concerning him, during his cruise in the Pacifick, had excited the curiosity of the public to see this modern Sinbad. On arriving in New York his carriage was surrounded by the populace, who took out the horses, and dragged him, with shouts and acclamations, to his lodgings.

THE ALLIGATOR.

TOWARDS the latter part of January, 1814, the United States schooner Alligator, mounting eight or ten guns, with a complement of forty men, was attacked in Stono river (six miles south of the channel

of Charleston, S. C.) by six boats from the enemy's squadron off the mouth of the river, having on board one hundred and forty men, and succeeded in beating them off, after a warm action of thirty minutes, in which the enemy suffered very severely. The loss on board the Alligator was two killed and two wounded. Great credit is due to her commander, sailingmaster Dent, and crew, for defeating a force so greatly superior in numbers. The Alligator was afterwards lost in a severe gale, and twenty-three of her men drowned.

CRUISE OF COMMODORE RODGERS.

On the 18th of February, commodore Rodgers arrived at Sandy Hook, off New York, after a cruise of seventy-five days, during which he captured a number of British merchant vessels, and narrowly escaped at different times, a very superior force of the enemy.

PEACOCK AND EFERVIER.

On the 29th of April, in latitude 27 47, longitude 80 9, the United States sloop of war Peacock, cap tain Warrington, of twenty guns and one hundre and sixty men, captured, after an action of forty-two