JAMES A. MANSON 229 



peake. Broke sent several messages inviting him to 

 come out of Boston harbour and try conclusions 

 in the open. Probably these never reached him. 

 At all events, as Broke got no answer he at last 

 indited a polite letter to Lawrence requesting the 

 favour of a ship-to-ship meeting. This challenge 

 — which queerly recalls, though its author was the 

 reverse of a braggart, the missive sent by Sir John 

 Cope from Dunbar to Prince Charlie — was dated on 

 the I stof June, " the Glorious First,"butere it reached 

 its destination. Captain Broke had the satisfaction 

 of seeing from his masthead — whilst his men were 

 dining — the Chesapeake fire a gun, leave her moor- 

 ings, and make way towards him. Lawrence, not 

 to be outdone in chivalry and courtesy, had sent 

 ashore five of his guns, so as to equalise the arma- 

 ment. Each vessel carried twenty-five broadside 

 guns, but the Shannoti only mustered 306 men 

 to the Chesapeake's 376, and the tonnage of the 

 former was 1066 to the latler's 1135. Wc have 

 seen, however, that Broke had an admirably 

 trained and disciplined crew — 'tis said he kept 

 his decks constantly cleared for action — and he 

 was probably more than satisfied to accept battle 

 as he stood. 



It almost reads like an account of one of those 

 yacht races for the America Cup, to which Sir 

 Thomas Lipton's patriotic ambition has accus- 

 tomed us, to learn that as the Chesupe.ike left 



