On the Ocean 143 



On Oct. 8th Commodore Rodgers left Boston 

 on his second cruise, with the President, United 

 States, Congress, and Argus, leaving the Hornet 

 in port. Four days out, the United States and Ar 

 gus separated, while the remaining two frigates 

 continued their cruise together. The Argus* 4 Cap 

 tain Sinclair, cruised to the eastward, making prizes 

 of 6 valuable merchantmen, and returned to port on 

 January 3d. During the cruise she was chased for 

 three days and three nights (the latter being moon 

 light) by a British squadron, and was obliged to cut 

 away her boats and anchors and start some of her 

 water. But she saved her guns, and was so cleverly 

 handled that during the chase she actually suc 

 ceeded in taking and manning a prize, though the 

 .enemy got near enough to open fire as the vessels 

 separated. Before relating what befell the United 

 States, we shall bring Commodore Rodgers' cruise 

 to an end. 



On Oct. roth the Commodore chased, but failed 

 to overtake, the British frigate Nymphe, 38, Cap 

 tain Epworth. On the i8th, off the great Bank of 

 Newfoundland, he captured the Jamaica packet 

 Swallozv, homeward bound, with 200,000 dollars in 

 specie aboard. On the 3ist at 9 A.M., lat. 33 N., 

 long. 32 W., his two frigates fell in with the Brit 

 ish frigate Galatea, 36, Captain Woodley Losack, 

 convoying two South Sea ships, to windward. The 

 Galatea ran down to reconnoitre, and at 10 A.M., 



M Letter of Commodore Rodgers, Jan. i, 1813. 

 64 Letter of Capt. Arthur Sinclair, Jan. 4. 1813. 



