208 Naval War of 1812 



lying at anchor ; and while beating round Caroband 

 Bank, in order to get at her, Captain Lawrence dis 

 covered another sail edging down on his weather- 

 quarter. 7 The brig at anchor was the Espiegle, of 

 1 8 guns, 32-pound carronades, Captain John Tay 

 lor; 8 and the second brig seen was the Peacock, 

 Captain William Peake, 9 which, for some unknown 

 reason, had exchanged her 32-pound carronades for 

 24*5. She had sailed from the Espiegle' s anchorage 

 the same morning at 10 o'clock. At 4.20 P.M. the 

 Peacock hoisted her colors ; then the Hornet beat to 

 quarters and cleared for action. Captain Lawrence 

 kept close by the wind, in order to get the weather- 

 gage; when he was certain he could weather the 

 enemy, he tacked, at 5.10, and the Hornet hoisted 

 her colors. The ship and the brig now stood for 

 each other, both on the wind, the Hornet being on 

 the starboard and the Peacock on the port tack, 

 and at 5.25 they exchanged broadsides, at half pis 

 tol-shot distance, while going in opposite directions, 

 the Americans using their lee and the British their 

 weather battery. The guns were fired as they bore, 

 and the Peacock suffered severely, while her an 

 tagonist's hull was uninjured, though she suffered 

 slightly aloft and had her pennant cut off by the 

 first shot fired. 10 One of the men in the mizzen-top 

 was killed by a round shot, and two more were 

 wounded in the main-top. 11 As soon as they were 



7 Letter of Captain Lawrence, March 29, 1813. 



8 James, vi, 278. 9 Do. 10 Cooper, p. 200. 



11 See entry in her log for the day (In "Log-Book of 



