482 CAPTURE OF THE JAVA. 
yery respectable company were assembled ; a scene graced 
by nearly all the beauty and fashion of the city. All was joy 
and gayety, such as could scarcely admit of augmentation, and 
yet it was destined to be increased. About nine o'clock a ru- 
mor was spread that Lieut. Hamilton, the son of the secretary 
of the navy, had reached the house, the bearer of the colors 
of the Macedonian, and despatches from Com. Decatur. The 
gentlemen crowded down to meet him. He was received 
with loud cheers, and escorted to the festive hall, where await- 
ed him the embraces of a fond father, mother, and sisters ! It 
was a scene easier felt than described. The room in which 
the company had assembled had been previously decorated 
with the trophies of naval victory. The colors of the Guer- 
riere and Alert were displayed on the wall, and the flag of the 
Macedonian alone was wanting to complete the group. It 
was produced and borne into the hall by Capts. Hull and 
Stewart, and others of our brave seamen, amidst the loud ac- 
clamations of the company, and greeted with national music 
from the band. 
CAPTURE OF THE JAVA. 
But about two months after the capture of the Macedonian, 
the United States' frigate Constitution, then under the com- 
mand of Com. William Bainbridge, achieved a most as- 
tonishing victory in capturing the British frigate Java, Capt. 
Lambert, mounting 49 guns, having a full complement for 
her crew, with upward of one hundred supernumeraries, ofli- 
cers and seamen, whom the Java was taking out for the East- 
India service — in all, upward of 400. 
This action took place on the •29th of December, 1812, off 
St. Salvador, on the coast of the Brazils, lat. 13, 6, S. Ion. 38, 
W. about thirty miles from the shore, and lasted one hour 
and fifty-five minutes, when the Java was completely dismast- 
ed, not having a spar of any size standing. 
The action commenced at ten minutes after 2 o'clock P. 
M. the ships then half a mile apart, the Java keeping at a 
greater distance than wished by Com. Bainbridge, which he 
could not prevent without danger of exposure to a raking fire. 
This danger he however thought best to encounter, as will 
appear from the following minutes from his log-book : — 
