On the Ocean 155 



British ships, moreover, had often conquered 

 against odds as great; as, for instance, when the 

 Sea Horse captured the great Turkish frigate Ba- 

 dere-Z offer; when the Astrea captured the French 

 frigate Gloire, which threw at a broadside 286 

 pounds of shot, while she threw but 174; and when, 

 most glorious of all, Lord Dundonald, in the gal 

 lant little Speedy, actually captured the Spanish 

 xebec Gamo, of over five times her own force ! Sim 

 ilarly, the corvette Comus captured the Danish frig 

 ate Fredrickscoarn, the brig Onyx captured the 

 Dutch sloop Manly, the little cutter Thorn captured 

 the French Courier-National, and the Pasley the 

 Spanish Virgin; while there had been many in 

 stances of drawn battles between English 1 2-pound 

 frigates and French or Spanish i8-pounders. 



Captain Hull having resigned the command of 

 the Constitution she was given to Captain Bain- 

 bridge, of the Constellation, who was also entrusted 

 with the command of the Essex and Hornet. The 

 latter ship was in the port of Boston with the Con 

 stitution, under the command of Captain Lawrence. 

 The Essex was in the Delaware, and accordingly 

 orders were sent to Captain Porter to rendezvous at 

 the island of San Jago; if that failed several other 

 places were appointed, and if, after a certain time, 

 he did not fall in with his commodore he was to act 

 at his own discretion. 



On October 26th the Constitution and Hornet 

 sailed, touched at the different rendezvouses, and 

 on December I3th arrived off San Salvador, where 



