On the Ocean 135 



French i8's threw each a shot weighing but about 

 two pounds less than that thrown by an American 

 24 of 1812, while their 36-pound carronades each 

 threw a shot over 10 pounds heavier than that 

 thrown by one of the Constitution's spar-deck 32*3. 



That a 24-pounder cannot always whip an 18- 

 pounder frigate is shown by the action of the Brit 

 ish frigate Enrotas with the French frigate Chlor- 

 inde, on Feb. 25, i8i4. 37 The first with a crew 

 of 329 men threw 625 pounds of shot at a broadside, 

 the latter carrying 344 men and throwing 463 

 pounds; yet the result was indecisive. The French 

 lost 90 and the British 60 men. The action showed 

 that heavy metal was not of much use unless used 

 well. 



To appreciate rightly the exultation Hull's victory 

 caused in the United States, and the intense an 

 noyance it created in England, it must be remem 

 bered that during the past twenty years the Island 

 Power had been at war with almost every State 

 in Europe, at one time or another, and in the course 

 of about two hundred single conflicts between ships 

 of approximately equal force (that is, where the 

 difference was less than one-half), waged against 

 French, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Algerine, Rus 

 sian, Danish, and Dutch antagonists, her ships had 

 been beaten and captured in but five instances. 

 Then war broke out with America, and in eight 

 months five single-ship actions occurred, in every 

 one of which the British vessel was captured. 



* James, vi, 391. 



