On the Ocean 157 



to blockade her, Commodore Bainbridge ran off to 

 the southward, keeping the land in view. 



At 9 A.M., Dec. 29, 1812, while the Constitution 

 was running along the coast of Brazil, about thirty 

 miles off shore in latitude 13 6' S., and longitude 

 31 W., two strange sail were made, 71 inshore and 

 to windward. These were H. B. M. frigate Java, 

 Captain Lambert, forty-eight days out of Spithead, 

 England, with the captured ship William in com 

 pany. Directing the latter to make for San Salva 

 dor, the Java bore down in chase of the Constitu 

 tion. 72 The wind was blowing light from the 

 N.N.E., and there was very little sea on. At 10 the 

 Java made the private signals, English, Spanish, and 

 Portuguese in succession, none being answered ; 

 meanwhile the Constitution was standing up toward 

 the Java on the starboard tack; a little after n 

 she hoisted her private signal, and then, being satis 

 fied that the strange sail was an enemy, she wore 

 and stood off toward the S.E., to draw her antago 

 nist away from the land, 78 which was plainly visible. 

 The Java hauled up, and made sail in a parallel 

 course, the Constitution bearing about three points 



the assertions made by James as to the cowardice of the Ameri 

 cans, this is the only instance throughout the war in which a 

 ship of either party declined a contest with an antagonist 

 of equal force (the cases of Commodore Rodgers and Sir 

 George Collier being evidently due simply to an overestimate 

 of the opposing ships). 



11 Official letter of Commodore Bainbridge, Jan. 3, 1813. 



w Official letter of Lieutenant Chads, Dec. 31, 1812. 



11 Log of the Constitution, 



