On the Ocean 123 



them to be only Americans; then, at midday, he 

 stood toward the east, and went into Boston on July 

 26th. 



In this chase Captain Isaac Hull was matched 

 against five British captains, two of whom, Broke 

 and Byron, were fully equal to any in their navy; 

 and while the latter showed great perseverance, good 

 seamanship, and ready imitation, there can be no 

 doubt that the palm in every way belongs to the cool 

 old Yankee. Every daring expedient known to the 

 most perfect seamanship was tried, and tried with 

 success; and no victorious fight could reflect more 

 credit on the part of the conqueror than this three 

 days' chase did on Hull. Later, on two occasions, 

 the Constitution proved herself far superior in gun 

 nery to the average British frigate; this time her 

 officers and men showed that they could handle the 

 sails as well as they could the guns. Hull out 

 manoeuvred Broke and Byron as cleverly as a month 

 later he out-fought Dacres. His successful escape 

 and victorious fight were both performed in a way 

 that place him above any single ship captain of the 

 war. 



On August 2d the Constitution made sail from 

 Boston 18 and stood to the eastward, in hopes of fall 

 ing in with some of the British cruisers. She was 

 unsuccessful, however, and met nothing. Then she 

 ran down to the Bay of Fundy, steered along the 

 coast of Nova Scotia, and thence toward Newfound 

 land, and finally took her station off Cape Race in 



18 Letter of Capt. Isaac Hull, Aug. 28, 1812. 



