Concluding Operations 183 



The Penguin was so cut up by shot that she had 

 to be destroyed. After the stores, etc., had been 

 taken out of her, she was thoroughly examined 

 (Captain Biddle, from curiosity, taking her meas 

 urements in comparison with those of the Hornet.) 

 Her destruction was hastened on account of a 

 strange sail heaving in sight; but the latter proved 

 to be the Peacock, with the Tom Bowline in com 

 pany. The latter was now turned to account by 

 being sent in to Rio de Janeiro as a cartel with 

 the prisoners. The Peacock and Hornet remained 

 about the Island till April isth, and then, giving up 

 all hopes of seeing the President, and rightly sup 

 posing she had been captured, started out for the 

 East Indies. On the 2/th of the month, in lat. 38 

 30' S. and long. 33 E., 77 the Peacock signaled a 

 stranger in the S.E., and both sloops crowded sail 

 in chase. The next morning they came down with 

 the wind aft from the northwest, the studding-sails 

 set on both sides. The new 22-gun sloops were 

 not only better war-vessels, but faster ones, too, 

 than any other ships of their rate ; and the Peacock 

 by afternoon was two leagues ahead of the Hornet. 

 At 2 P.M. the former was observed to manifest some 

 hesitation about approaching the stranger, which in 

 stead of avoiding had. rather hauled up toward them. 



" Letter of Captain Biddle, June loth, and extracts from 

 her log. 



