50 Naval War of 1812 



The sky was overcast with clouds, and the 

 smoothness of the sea was hardly disturbed by the 

 light breeze that blew out of the northeast. Cap 

 tain Blakely hauled up and stood for his antagonist, 

 as the latter came slowly down with the wind near 

 ly aft, and so light was the weather that the vessels 

 kept almost on even keels. It was not till quarter 

 past one that the Wasp's drum rolled out its loud 

 challenge as it beat to quarters, and a few minutes 

 afterward the ship put about and stood for the foe, 

 thinking to weather him; but at 1.50 the brig also 

 tacked and stood away, each of the cool and skilful 

 captains being bent on keeping the weather-gage. At 

 half past two the Reindeer again tacked, and, tak 

 ing in her stay-sails, stood for the Wasp, who furled 

 her royals; and, seeing that she would be weath 

 ered, at 2.50 put about in her turn and ran off, with 

 the wind a little forward the port beam, brailing up 

 the mizzen, while the Reindeer hoisted her flying- 

 jib, to close, and gradually came up on the Wasp's 

 weather-quarter. At 17 minutes past three, when 

 the vessels were not sixty yards apart, the British 

 opened the conflict, firing the shifting 1 2-pound 

 carronade, loaded with round and grape. To this 

 the Americans could make no return, and it was 

 again loaded and fired, with the utmost delibera 

 tion; this was repeated five times, and would have 

 been a trying ordeal to a crew less perfectly dis- 



