On the Ocean 61 



ment be questioned ; but the gunnery of the latter ap 

 pears to have been not one whit better than, to the 

 discredit of the British navy, had frequently before 

 been displayed in combats of this kind. Nor, 

 judging from the specimen given by the Castilian, 

 is it likely that she would have performed any bet 

 ter." 50 On the other hand, "Capt. Blakely's con 

 duct on this occasion had all the merit shown in the 

 previous action, with the additional claim of engag 

 ing an enemy under circumstances which led him 

 to believe that her consorts were in the immediate 

 vicinity. The steady, officer-like way in which the 

 Avon was destroyed, and the coolness with which 

 he prepared to engage the Castilian within ten 

 minutes after his first antagonist had struck, are the 

 best encomiums on this officer's character and spirit, 

 as well as on the school in which he had been 

 trained." 51 



The Wasp now cruised to the southward and 

 westward, taking and scuttling one or two prizes. 

 On Sept. 2ist, lat. 33 12 N., long. 14 56' W., 

 she captured the brig Atalanta, 8, with 19 men, 

 which proved a valuable prize, and was sent in with 

 one of the midshipmen, Mr. Geisinger, aboard, as 

 prize-master, who reached Savannah in safety on 

 Nov. 4th. Meanwhile the Wasp kept on toward 

 the southeast. On Oct. gth, in lat. 18 35' N., long. 



60 James, vi, 435. 61 Cooper, ii, 291. 



