On the Ocean 215 



took her. The schooner opened a well-directed fire 

 of round and grape, but the boats rushed forward 

 and boarded her, not carrying her till after a most 

 obstinate struggle, in which Captain Southcomb and 

 19 of his men, together with 13 of the assailants, 

 were killed or wounded. The best warship of a 

 regular navy might be proud of the discipline and 

 courage displayed by the captain and crew of the 

 little Lottery. Captain Byron on this, as well as 

 on many another occasion, showed himself to be as 

 humane as he was brave and skilful. Captain 

 Southcomb, mortally wounded, was taken on board 

 Byron's frigate, where he was treated with the 

 greatest attention and most delicate courtesy, and 

 when he died his body was sent ashore with every 

 mark of the respect due to so brave an officer. 

 Captain Stewart (of the Constellation) wrote Cap 

 tain Byron a letter of acknowledgment for his great 

 courtesy and kindness. 21 



On March i6th a British division of five boats 

 and 105 men, commanded by Lieutenant James 

 Polkinghorne, set out to attack the privateer 

 schooner Dolphin of 12 guns and 70 men, and the 

 letters-of-marque, Racer, Arab, and Lynx, each of 

 six guns and 30 men. Lieutenant Polkinghorne, 

 after pulling 15 miles, found the four schooners 

 all prepared to receive him, but in spite of his great 

 inferiority in force he dashed gallantly at them. 



$1 The correspondence between the two captains is given 

 in full in Niles' "Register," which also contains fragmen 

 tary notes on the action, principally as to the loss incurred. 



