SCHOONER EXPERIMENT.-LIEUT. STEWART.

In July, 1800, lieutenant Charles Stewart was appointed to the command of the Experiment, of twelve guns, and ordered to cruise in the West Indies. He arrived on that station the first of September, and the same night fell in with the French schooner Deux Amis, of eight guns, which he engaged and captured, without any loss, after an action of ten minutes.

Soon after, while cruising near the island of Barbuda, he discovered a brig of war, and a three-masted schooner, standing for the Experiment, under a prèss of sail, and displaying English colours. The Experiment was hove to, and the British signal of the day was made, which not being answered by the strange vessels by the time they were within gun-shot, that signal was hauled down, and the Experiment stood away with all sail set. A chase was now commenced by the enemy, and continued for about two hours; when finding they were outsailed by the Experiment, they relinquished the pursuit, and bore away under easy sail, firing a gun to windward, and hoisting French colours. Lieutenant Stewart now manoeuvred his schooner so as to bring her in the enemy's wake to windward, when a chase was made on his part, which continued the whole day before the wind, each vessel crowding all her canvass. At eight o'clock

at night, the Experiment closed with the three-mast ed schooner, which was the sternmost of the hostile vessels; and having taken a position on her larboard-quarter, opened a fire upon her from the great guns and small arms, which in about five minutes, compelled her to strike. She was immediately taken possession of, and proved to be the French schooner of war Diana, of fourteen guns and sixtyfive men, commanded by M. Peraudeau, lieutenant de Vaisseau. The detention occasioned by removing the prisoners, enabled the brig of war to escape. She mounted, as was afterwards learned, eighteen guns, and had a crew of one hundred and twenty men. The Experiment proceeded to St. Christopher's with her prize.

On the 14th of December, she fell in with the privateer Flambeau, of sixteen guns and ninety men, with a prize brig, steering for Marigalante. The breeze being light and the enemy to windward, it was late in the afternoon before there was any prospect of closing with him. Notwithstanding all the exertions of the Experiment, the Flambeau escaped in shore; but her prize was retaken. This vessel proved to be the Zebra of and from Baltimore, laden with flour. During the remainder of this cruise, the Experiment recaptured several American vessels sometimes as many as two or three in a day, and thus rescued American property to a considerable

amount.

OPERATIONS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.

As every incident and anecdote connected with the Tripolitan war has become extremely interesting to the publick, we trust that the following circumstantial, though very imperfect, NARRATIVE of the operations of the squadron under COMMODORE PREBLE, will be read with satisfaction.

The Tripolitan cruisers continuing to harass the vessels of the United States, Congress determined, in 1803, to act with greater vigour against them, and to fit out a fleet that should not only repel their unprovoked aggression, but also chastise their insolence. The squadron consisted of the Constitution, 44 guns; the Philadelphia, 44; the Argus, 18; the Syren, 16; the Nautilus, 16; the Vixen, 16; and the Enterprize, 14. Commodore Preble was appointed to the command of this squadron, in May, 1803.

On the thirteenth of August, commodore Preble sailed in the Constitution for the Mediterranean. On his passage he brought to a Moorish frigate, which he suspected had been authorized to cruise against American vessels; but her papers not supporting such a suspicion, he dismissed her. When he arrived at Gibraltar, he found that our affairs with Morocco had assumed a very disagreeable aspect.

Captain William Bainbridge, commanding the frigate Philadelphia, had sailed in July; and, on the

twenty-sixth of August, had captured the Moorish ship Mirboha, of twenty-two guns, and one hundred and ten men. An order to cruise for American vessels was discovered among her papers. There was no signature to this order. The captain said it was delivered to him sealed, by the Moorish governour of Tangiers, who ordered him not to open it until at sea. By the authority of this order he had captured the American brig Celia, then in company. In May, captain Rodgers had detained a vessel, under Moorish colours, attempting to enter Tripoli, then actually blockaded by him. On board of her were four guns, and other contraband articles. The emperour denied having authorized the latter; and the governour of Tangiers disavowed having given any orders to cruise for Americans to the former. Commodore Preble, the day after his arrival, wrote to the American consul at Tangiers, that peace with the emperour of Morocco was desirable; that since he disavowed the acts of hostility, committed by his subjects, he should punish as pirates all Moorish cruisers attempting to capture American vessels.*

Commodore Rodgers, who, with the New York and John Adams, frigates, was under orders to return to the United States, consented to remain a few days on the station, and to proceed with commodore Preble to Tangier bay, to effect an adjustment of existing differences.

On the seventeenth of August, commodore Preble appeared in Tangier bay, and hoisted a white flag

*Port Folio, vol. iii. p. 361.

in token of peace. The American consul was not permitted to go on board. Two sentinels were placed at his door.

About this time another act of hostility was com

mitted at Mogadore. It was an order given to detain all American vessels. The brig Hannah, of Salem, was actually seized.

This determined the commodore to take a more decided course. He ordered his squadron to Bring in all Moorish vessels for examination. He despatched vessels to cruise off Mogadore, Salee, Zarach and Tetuan, while he himself entered the bay of Tangiers from time to time. The Philadelphia and Vixen were ordered to lie before Tripoli.

On the 5th of October, when the emperour of Morocco was expected at Tangiers, commodore Preble anchored the Constitution and Nautilus in the bay, within half a mile of the circular battery. In the afternoon of the 6th, he was joined by the frigates New York and John Adams. The ships were constantly kept clear for action, and the men night and day at their quarters. The emperour arrived on the 6th, with a great body of troops, who encamped on the beach opposite the American squadron. The commodore saluted the emperour with twenty-one guns, which were retured by an equal number from the fort. A present of bullocks, sheep, and fowls, was sent to the American squadron, as a token of the emperour's good will. On the 8th, the emperour, attended by a body of troops, came to the beach for