The Battle of New Orleans 265 



ment, by Lieut. B. F. Hoffman, and in his published 

 report 2 he gives, among the other dimensions: 

 "Length of spar-deck, 124. feet 9 inches," and 

 "length of gun-deck 123 feet 3 inches." With such 

 a difference in the way of taking measurements, as 

 well as of computing tonnage from the measure- 

 ments when taken, it is not surprising that accord- 

 ing to the American method the Cyane should have 

 ranked as of about 659 tons, instead of 539. As 

 James takes no account of any of these differences 

 I hardly know how to treat of his statements of 

 comparative tonnage. Thus he makes the Hornet 

 460 tons, and the Peacock and Penguin, which she 

 at different times captured, about 388 each. As it 

 happens both Captain Lawrence and Captain Biddle, 

 who commanded the Hornet in her two successful 

 actions, had their prizes measured. The Peacock 

 sank so rapidly that Lawrence could not get very 

 accurate measurements of her; he states her to be 

 four feet shorter and half a foot broader than the 

 Hornet. The British naval historian, Brenton (vol. 

 v, p. in), also states that they were of about the 

 same tonnage. But we have more satisfactory evi- 

 dence from Captain Biddle. He stayed by his prize 

 nearly two days, and had her thoroughly examined 

 in every way; and his testimony is, of course, final. 

 He reports that the Penguin was by actual meas- 



9 "American State Papers," xiv, p. 417. 

 VOL. X. L 



