On the Ocean 25 



the assistance of the Cherub, would have ensured the 

 same termination. Captain Porter's sneers at the 

 respectful distance the Phoebe kept are in fact ac 

 knowledgments of the ability with which Captain 

 Hilyar availed himself of the superiority of his 

 arms ; it was a brilliant affair." While indorsing this 

 criticism, it may be worth while to compare it with 

 some of the author's comments upon the other 

 actions, as that between Decatur and the Macedo 

 nian. To make the odds here as great against Car- 

 den as they were against Porter, it would be neces 

 sary to suppose that the Macedonian had lost her 

 main-top-mast, had but six long i8's to oppose to 

 her antagonist's 24*3, and that the latter was assisted 

 by the corvette Adams; so that as a matter of fact 

 Porter fought at fully double or treble the disad 

 vantage Garden did, and, instead of surrendering 

 when he had lost a third of his crew, fought till 

 three-fifths of his men were dead or wounded, and, 

 moreover, inflicted greater loss and damage on his 

 antagonists than Garden did. If, then, as Lord 

 Douglas says, the defence of the Macedonian bril 

 liantly upheld the character of the British navy for 

 courage, how much more did that of the Essex: show 

 for the American navy; and if Hilyar's conduct 

 was "brilliant," that of Decatur was more so. 



This was an action in which it is difficult to 

 tell exactly how to award praise. Captain Hilyar 



VOL. X. B 



