172 Naval War of 1812 



attack her. 65 At that moment the canvas of two 

 other ships was discovered rising out of the fog 

 astern of the vessel first seen. It was now evident 

 that all three were heavy frigates. 66 In fact they 

 were the Newcastle, 50, Captain Lord George Stew 

 art; Leander, 50, Captain Sir Ralph Collier, K.C.B., 

 and Acasta, 40, Captain Robert Kerr, standing into 

 Porto Praya, close-hauled on the starboard tack, the 

 wind being light northeast by north. 67 Capt. Stew 

 art at once saw that his opponents were far too 

 heavy for a fair fight, and, knowing that the neu 

 trality of the port would not be the slightest protec 

 tion to him, he at once signaled to the prizes to 

 follow, cut his cable, and, in less than ten minutes 

 from the time the first frigate was seen, was stand 

 ing out of the roads, followed by Hoffman and Bal- 

 lard. Certainly a more satisfactory proof of the 

 excellent training of both officers and men could 

 hardly be given than the rapidity, skill, and perfect 

 order with which everything was done. Any inde 

 cision on the part of the officers or bungling on the 

 part of the men would have lost everything. The 

 prisoners on shore had manned a battery and deliv 

 ered a furious but ill-directed fire at their retreating 

 conquerors. The frigate, sloop, and corvette stood 



65 Cooper, ii, 459. 



6 * Letter of Lieutenant Hoffman, April 10, 1815. 



" Marshall's "Naval Biography," ii, 535. 



