158 Naval War of 1812 



on her lee bow. The Java gained rapidly, being 

 much the swifter. 



At 1.30 the Constitution luffed up, shortened her 

 canvas to topsails, topgallant sails, jib, and spanker, 

 and ran easily off on the port tack, heading toward 

 the southeast; she carried her commodore's pendant 

 at the main, national ensigns at the mizzen-peak 

 and main topgallant masthead, and a Jack at the 

 fore. The Java also had taken in the mainsail and 

 royals, and came down in a lasking course on her 

 adversary's weather-quarter, 74 hoisting her ensign 

 at the mizzen-peak, a union Jack at the mizzen top~ 

 gallant masthead, and another lashed to the main- 

 rigging. At 2 P.M., the Constitution fired a shot 

 ahead of her, following it quickly by a broadside, 75 

 and the two ships began at long bowls, the English 

 firing the lee or starboard battery while the Amer 

 icans replied with their port guns. The cannonade 

 was very spirited on both sides, the ships suffering 

 about equally. The first broadside of the Java was 

 very destructive, killing and wounding several of 

 the Constitution's crew. The Java kept edging 

 down, and the action continued, with grape and 

 musketry in addition; the swifter British ship soon 

 fore-reached and kept away, intending to wear 

 across her slower antagonist's bow and rake her; 

 but the latter wore in the smoke, and the two com 

 batants ran off to the westward, the Englishman 



74 Lieutenant Chads' Address to the Court-martial, April 

 23, 1813. 

 15 Commodore Bainbridge's letter. 



