1813.] 



THE AUTHOR'S EARLY LIFE. 



xv 



schooner of one hundred and sixty tons, pierced for fourteen guns, 

 was nearly ready for sea ; and I succeeded in obtaining the station of 

 quarter-master on board of her, under Captain Buchanan. We set sail 

 with bright hopes and high anticipations, all of which were destined 

 to terminate in cruel disappointment ; our cruise being totally barren 

 of incident, danger, or emolument. 



We finally put into Charleston, S. C, where our little privateer was 

 converted into a letter-of-marque, and laden with cotton for France. 

 Two nine-pounders were all the guns we retained, with eighteen men 

 besides officers. We weighed anchor at daybreak on the 28th of May, 

 1813, and left the port of Charleston in company with the privateer 

 schooner General Armstrong, of eighteen guns, afterward distinguished 

 for the gallant and desperate defence she made against an overwhelming 

 force, in Fayal Roads. She was now under the command of Captain 

 Champlin ; who, a few weeks before, had sustained an action with her 

 against an English twenty-four gun frigate, for forty-five minutes within 

 pistol shot ; and finally succeeded in escaping, with the loss of six 

 killed and sixteen wounded. 



The General Armstrong, being light and well coppered, soon left 

 us behind, and we saw her no more. We had five passengers on 

 board the Joel Barlow, bound for Bordeaux ; viz. a young Frenchman 

 of about twenty-five years of age, said to be partially insane ; with his 

 mother, and another French lady : also, two American gentlemen, 

 one of whom was Major M. M. Noah, of New- York, who had been 

 recently appointed consul to Tunis. 



About the middle of June (I kept no journal at this time), we fell in 

 with a fleet of English merchantmen, steering a south-easterly course ; 

 and our captain proposed making love to one of them ; not doubting 

 that our warlike appearance would induce an instant surrender. We 

 accordingly gave chase, and came very near catching a tartar ; for as 

 we neared our intended prize, she suddenly shortened sail, displayed a 

 flag and pendant, hauled up her courses, and exhibited a row of teeth 

 too formidable for our present purpose. In short, it was the guardian 

 dog of the flock — an English gun-brig convoying the fleet. The cap- 

 tain saw his error in time, appeared satisfied with the discovery, and 

 we resumed our former course. 



Our passage was considerably retarded and protracted by calms ; 

 so that thirty-four days had elapsed before we obtained a sight of the 

 French coast. On the 3d of July, in the afternoon, within about 

 fifty miles of Cordovan lighthouse, we fell in with an English gun-brig 

 on the lee bow, and a sixteen gun cutter on the lee quarter. We im- 

 mediately commenced plying to windward, with a fair prospect of es- 

 caping our enemies ; as it was evident, after an hour's trial, that they 

 did not gain upon us, and the captain was only waiting for night to 

 change our course. At sunset, however, we discovered to our aston- 

 ishment an English frigate to windward, running down directly on 

 our beam, with topmast, top-gallant, and royal steering sails set. 



Escape was now impossible. She soon ran her jib-boom over our 

 quarter, and ordered us to haul down our sails and colours. We were 

 then boarded by a lieutenant, midshipman, and several men from the 



