be ships. One of them stood in for the land; the other stood off shore towards the Constitution. At ten, commodore Bainbridge tacked ship to the northward and westward, and stood for the sail approaching him. At eleven A. M. he tacked to the southward and eastward, hauled up the mainsail, and took in the royals. At thirty minutes past eleven, made a private signal for the day, which was not answered; and then set mainsail and royals, to draw the strange vessel off from the neutral coast, and separate her from her company. At twelve, the American ensign and pendant were hoisted on board the Constitution. At fifteen minutes past twelve, the strange vessel hoisted an English ensign, and displayed a signal at her mainmast. At a quarter past one, the ship in sight proving to be an English frigate, and being sufficiently distant from land, commodore Bainbridge ordered the mainsails and royals to be taken in, to tack ship and stand for the enemy; who soon bore down with an intention of raking the Constitution, which she avoided by wearing. At two o'clock, P. M. the British ship was within half a mile of the Constitution, and to windward. She now hauled down her colours, except ar union jack at the mizzen-mast head. This induced commodore Bainbridge to order a gun to be fired ahead of her, to make her show her colours. It was succeeded by the whole of the Constitution's broadside. On this, the enemy immediately hoisted colours, and returned the fire. A general action now commenced with round and grape shot. The British frigate kept at a much greater distance than the commodore wished. He, however, could not bring her to closer action, without exposing his vessel to be several times raked. Both vessels for some time manœuvred to obtain a position that would enable them to rake, or avoid being raked. In the early part of the engagement the wheel of the Constitution was shot away. Commodore Bainbridge determined to close with the British vessel, notwithstanding, in so doing, he should expose his ship to be several times raked. He ordered the fore and mainsails to be set, and luffed up close to the enemy, in such a manner that his jib-boom got foul of the Constitution's mizzen rigging. About three o'clock, the head of the British vessel's bowsprit and jib-boom, were shot away; and, in the space of an hour, her foremast was shot away by the board, her main-top-mast just above the cap, her gaff and spanker-boom, and her mainmast nearly by the board. The Brit About four o'clock, the fire of the British vessel being completely silenced, and her colours in the main rigging being down, she was supposed to have struck. The courses of the Constitution were now hauled on board, to shoot ahead, in order to repair her rigging, which was very much cut. ish vessel was left a complete wreck. was soon after discovered to be still flying. The Constitution, however, hove to, to repair some of her damages. About a quarter of an hour after, the mainmast of the British vessel went by the board. About three quarters of an hour after four, Her flag the Constitution wore, and stood for the British vessel; and got close to her athwart her bows, in a very effectual position for raking, when she prudently struck her flag. Had she suffered the broadside to have raked her, her additional loss would have been extremely great; for she lay quite an unmanageable wreck upon the water. After the British frigate struck, the Constitution wore and reefed topsails. One of the only two remaining boats out of eight, was then hoisted out, and lieutenant Parker, of the Constitution, was sent to take possession of the frigate. She proved to be his Britannick majesty's frigate Java, rating thirtyeight, but carrying forty-nine guns. She was manned by upwards of four hundred men; and waɛ commanded by captain Lambert, a very distinguish. ed naval officer. He was mortally wounded. The action continued, from the time the firing commenced till the time it ceased, one hour and fifty-fivc minutes. The Constitution had nine men killed, and twenty-five wounded. The Java had sixty killed, and one hundred and one (certainly) wounded—but by a letter written on board the Constitution, by one of the officers of the Java, and accidentally found, it is evident her loss must have been much greater. He states it to have been sixty killed, and one hundred and seventy wounded. The Java had her own full complement of men, and upwards of one hundred supernumeraries, for British ships in the East Indies. Her force in num ber of men, at the commencement of the action, was probably much greater than the officers of the Constitution were enabled to ascertain. Her officers were extremely cautious in discovering the number of her crew. By her quarter bill she had one man more, stationed at each gun, than the Constitution. The Java was an important ship. She was fitted out in the most complete manner, to carry lieutenant general Hislop and staff to Bombay, of which place he had been appointed governour, and several naval officers for different vessels in the East Indies. She had despatches for St. Helena, the Cape of Good Hope, and for every British establishment in the Indian and Chinese seas. She had copper on board for a seventy-four, and for two brigs, building at Bombay; and probably a number of other valuable articles. The great distance from the United States, and the disabled state of the Java, forbade every idea of attempting to bring her to the United States. No alternative was therefore left, but to burn her, which was done, after the prisoners and their baggage were removed to the Constitution. They were all landed at St. Salvador, and paroled. The commander of the Java, captain Lambert, died soon after he was put on shore. The British officers paroled were a lieutenant-general, a major, and a captain, of land service; in the naval service, a post captain, a master and commander, five lieutenants, three lieutenants of marines, a surgeon, two assistant surgeons, a purser, fifteen midshipmen, a gunner, a boatswain, a |