On the Ocean 159 



still a-weather and steering freer than the Consti 

 tution, which had luffed to close. 76 The action 

 went on at pistol-shot distance. In a few minutes, 

 however, the Java again forged ahead, out of the 

 weight of her adversary's fire, and then kept off, as 

 before, to cross her bows; and, as before, the Con 

 stitution avoided this by wearing, both ships again 

 coming round with their heads to the east, the 

 American still to leeward. The Java kept the 

 weather-gage tenaciously, fore-reaching a little, and 

 whenever the Constitution luffed up to close, 77 the 

 former tried to rake her. But her gunnery was now 

 poor, little damage being done by it; most of the 

 loss the Americans suffered was early in the action. 

 By setting her foresail and mainsail the Constitu 

 tion got up close on the enemy's lee beam, her fire 

 being very heavy and carrying away the end of the 

 Java's bowsprit and her jibboom. 78 The Constitu 

 tion forged ahead and repeated her former manoeu 

 vre, wearing in the smoke. The Java at once hove 

 in stays, but owing to the loss of headsail fell off 

 very slowly, and the American frigate poured a 

 heavy raking broadside into her stern, at about two 

 cables' length distance. The Java replied with her 

 port guns as she fell off. 79 Both vessels then bore 

 up and ran off free, with the wind on the port quar 

 ter, the Java being abreast and to windward of her 

 antagonist, both with their heads a little east of 

 south. The ships were less than a cable's length 



16 Log of the Constitution. " Do. 



18 Lieutenant Chads' letter. " Lieut. Chads' letter. 



