The "Peacock" and the "Hornet." 95 



supremacy, and the relations of England and her eldest 

 daughter became very quarrelsome. Moreover, the Old 

 Country insisted upon her right to search American 

 vessels for English sailors, and to take these to serve in 

 English ships of war. Continuous application of this 

 right of Impressment was the last straw. On the 18th 

 of June, 1812, the United States declared war against 

 Great Britain. 



With the memory of Trafalgar and other great vic- 

 tories at sea still fresh with them, with many of the heroes 

 of those fights still in their service, the English felt a 

 very real contempt for what they called the Yankee 

 cock-boats. The tiny navy with which the Americans 

 essayed to do battle, against such English war vessels 

 as could be spared from the waters of the Old World, 

 was, however, a thoroughly efficient one. Stout ships, 

 well manned, and well supplied with skilful and brave 

 officers, and men practised frequently at the big guns, 

 and marines who, in the backwoods, had been marksmen 

 from their boyhood, were sent to sea, to uphold the 

 honour of the star-spangled banner and to fly the flag of 

 free trade and sailors' rights ! Such as they were, they in 

 every way were in the condition in which ships of war 



trying to sweeten his coffee with beet-root, and giving the little King of 

 Rome a piece of beet-root, saying, " Suck, suck, my child, it is 

 sugar. " —Bingham. 



The following conversation passed between the Emperor and the 

 famous Cuvier: — 



Napoleon : — Faut-il introduire de sucre de betterave en France ? 



Cuvier: — D'abord, sire, il faut songer a vos Colonies? 



Napoleon : — Faut-il avoir le sucre de betterave en France ? 



Cuvier: — Mais, sire, il faut examiner. 



Napoleon : — Bah ! jc le demanderai a Berthollet." 



