GENERAL HISTORY. 



[105 



CHAPTER XL 



Jsfaval Occurrences.— 'Loss of the Java. — Engagement between the Amelia 

 and a French Frigate. — Capture of a Flotilla on the Coast of Ca- 

 labria. — Capture of the Isle of Ponza.—Loss of the Peacock Sloop. — 

 Capture of a Convoy on the Dalmatian Coast, — Successes in the Bay 

 of Chesapeake. — Loss of the Vincejo, — Capture of the Chesapeake 

 Frigate by the Shannon. — Capture of the An7iaconda, and the Islands 

 of Ocracoke and Portsmouth. — Capture ofFiume. — Success at Cassis.— 

 Capture of the American-sloop Argus. — Success in the Gulf of Cataro, 

 — Capture of Le Weser and La Trave. — Reduction of Batteries at 

 Cuxhaven, Sfc. 



IN this year, as in the preceding, 

 few opportunities have been 

 afforded to the British navy to act 

 a distinguished part in the course 

 of events which will ever render 

 the period meftiorable. The French 

 navy, reduced to inaction, or to a 

 few petty and stolen attempts, has 

 presented no occasion of fair and 

 decisive combat ; and the blockade 

 of the American coast has curbed 

 that adventurous spirit which some 

 unexpected successes appeared to 

 have excited in the infant navy of 

 the United States. Actions worthy 

 of record have not, however, been 

 entirely wanting ; and in several 

 instances of co-operation with the 

 land forces, our seamen have found 

 room for the display of their ac- 

 customed courage and activity. 



The first event, however, to be 

 related, is one of additional mis- 

 fortune, though not of disgrace, to 

 the British flag. His majesty's 

 frigate Java, capt. Lambert, bound 

 to the East Indies, with lieut.-gen. 

 Hislop, and the officers of liis staff 

 on board, descried, on Dec. 2yth, 



1812, off St. Salvador, on the 

 coast of Brazil, a strange sail, to 

 which she gave chace. The ship 

 proved to be the American frigate 

 Constitution, which, shortening 

 sail about two o'clock in the after- 

 noon, came into action. The 

 American manoeuvred for some 

 time to avoid close combat, aiming 

 by Bring high to disable the masts 

 of his antagonist, in which he ob- 

 tained some success, having shot 

 away the head of the bowsprit with 

 the jib-boom of the Java, and much 

 injured the running rigging. Capt. 

 Lambert, finding the enemy's rak- 

 ing fire very heavy, ordered him to 

 be laid on board ; but this was 

 rendered impracticable by further 

 damages to the masts and rigging 

 which left his ship quite unmanage- 

 able, with most of the starboard 

 guns useless from the wreck lying 

 over them. At half-past three the 

 captain receivedadangerous wound 

 which obliged him to be carried 

 below. From this time till a quar- 

 ter past four the Java could only 

 fire two or three guns ; but her 



