On the Ocean 67 



chased, but it escaped in the thick weather. The 

 fog grew heavier, and early on the morning of Aug. 

 1 7th the Adams struck land literally struck it, too, 

 for she grounded on the Isle of Haute, and had to 

 throw over provisions, spare spars, etc., before she 

 could be got off. Then she entered the Penobscot, 

 and sailed 27 miles up it to Hampden. The Rifle 

 man meanwhile conveyed intelligence of her where 

 abouts to a British fleet, consisting of two line-of- 

 battle ships, three frigates, three sloops, and ten 

 troop transports, under the joint command of Rear- 

 Admiral Griffeth and Lieutenant-General Sher- 

 brooke. 58 



This expedition accordingly went into the Penob 

 scot and anchored off Castine. Captain Morris 

 made every preparation he could to defend his ship, 

 but his means were very limited ; seventy of his men 

 were dead or disabled by the scurvy ; the remainder, 

 many of them also diseased, were mustered out, to 

 the number of 130 officers and seamen (without 

 muskets) and 20 marines. He was joined, how 

 ever, by 30 regulars, and later by over 300 militia 

 armed with squirrel guns, ducking, and fowling- 

 pieces, etc, in all between 500 and 550 men, 56 only 

 1 80 of whom, with 50 muskets among them, could 

 be depended upon. On Sept. 3d the British ad 

 vanced by land and water, the land-force being un- 



54 James, vi, 479. 



66 "Autobiography of Commodore Morris." 



