LON 
anxious to make a trial of valour. On the ift of June lie 
difmifi'ed the vefl'el which accompanied him, and, with 
the Shannon alone, drew up before the harbour of Bofton, 
in a pofture of defiance. The Chefapeake accepted the 
challenge ; the came out to decide, as it were, by fingle 
combat, this conteft between the two nations in maritime 
prowefs. The coalt was entirely lined by the inhabitants, 
who could obferve with eafe all the vicifiitudes of a com¬ 
bat fo interelting. The ifl'ue remained not long in fufpenfe. 
The two veflels came almoft immediately in contact, and 
captain Broke, obferving that the enemy at this critical mo¬ 
ment flinched from their guns, gave immediate orders for 
boarding. In lefs than ten minutes the whole of the Bri- 
tifli crew were on the decks of the Chefapeake. In two 
minutes more the enemy, after a defperate but diforderly 
refiltance, were driven from every poll, and the Ameri¬ 
cans from the Ihore beheld the Britifh colours flying over 
the veffel, which had jaft left their harbour in full affu- 
rance of viftory. 
Mr. Croker, fecretary to the admiralty, in the courfe of 
a debate in the houfe of commons on the Sth of July, 
palled a warm eulogy on Capt. Broke for his difintereft- 
ednefs (vve underftand that he ferves without pay), ac-., 
tivity, (kill, and bravery. He defcribed the aition as “ in 
every refpeft unexampled. It was not—and he knew it 
was a bold aflertion—to be equalled by any engagement 
which graced our naval annals. Capt. Broke was wound¬ 
ed. This, indeed, was not extraordinary; but the place 
on which he received his wounds infpired an intereft that 
would be deeply felt; he was wounded on the deck of the 
enemy’s (hip.—The Chefapeake had made every potfible 
preparation for the engagement. She came out of har¬ 
bour in full fail. No other (hip was in fight. The con- 
teffc was to be fingly and fairly decided,—if a contell could 
be called fair where the fuperiority in numbers, in weight 
of metal, in dimenfions, were all on one fide. The Chefa- 
peake’s company confifted of 440 picked men; and Ihe was 
larger than the Shannon by 150 tons. She had on-board 
49 guns. The Shannon was manned with no hands lefs 
than the Chefapeake; and from her clafs, being a 38-gun 
frigate, Ihe probably had, although he could not fpeak 
with abfolute certainty, 44 or 46 guns. Not a (hot was 
fired until they were nearly fide and fide. The firing 
was great and rapid ; the exchange of broadfides was un¬ 
interrupted ; but nothing could refill the tremendous at¬ 
tack made by the Shannon. The firing was marked with 
precifion, energy, and a fpirit fo unabated, as to triumph 
over all difficulties. The enemy’s main chains were locked 
in the fore-chains of the Shannon. The order for board¬ 
ing was given by Capt. Broke. Not an inllant was loll 
in carrying the order into execution. The boarders 
ruflied at one and the fame moment from every deck 
—from every part of the Shannon, into the enemy’s (hip. 
The Chefapeake was carried, and was in our pofl'eflion in 
the courfe of three minutes. The topmen of the Shannon 
attacked the topmen of the Chefapeake, and donned the 
main top. He was warranted in faying, that the vifilory 
was accompliihed in lefs than fifteen minutes, of which 
only three minutes were occupied in boarding, when 310 
Brkifli feamen had to contend with 440 of the enemy. 
Capt. Broke was cut down by a fable-blow, on the fore- 
caftle of the Chefapeake. During the tremendous firing 
which was kept up, and the boarding, not a rope of con- 
fequence, not a netting, was hurt; and after the victory 
the two (hips failed away, to ufe the exprefiion of Capt. 
Broke, in the mojl beautiful order , as if they had only been ex¬ 
changing a falute!" Capt. Broke is the eldeft fon of the 
late Philip Bowes Broke, of Broke-hall, Nafton, Suffolk, 
efq. we underfland that he has a private ellate of about 
6000I. per annum ; to which the prince regent ivas now 
pleafed to add the honour of a baronetage. See the article 
Heraldry, Plate XCVI.—As to his family, fee farther 
Gent. Mag. 1813. Sept, and Supplement. 
A court of common-council, on the 13th of July, voted 
the freedom of the city of London, and a fword, to Capt, 
DON, 359 
Broke. And vie cannot avoid noticing a happy allufion 
to the aftion we have been defcribing at the recent illu¬ 
minations, (April 11-13, 1814.) the tranfparent infcrip’tion 
was, “ The Brooke that empties the Chefapeake into the 
Shannon.” 
The arrival of admiral Warren at Bermuda had now efla- 
blidled the naval fuperiority of Great Britain in thofe Teas; 
and a fquadron of light veflels was fent up the Chefapeake, 
the grand inlet of the North-American dates. Theft 
made fuccefsful defeents at various havens along its coaft, 
and upon the rivers at its head. Wherever the Britifh 
landed, they took pofl'eflion of the veflels and all public pro¬ 
perty, without doing any farther injury to the inhabitants. 
An attempt upon Craney-ifland did not fucceed ; but Kent 
and Swan iflands were taken and fortified ; and eflablifh- 
ments were thus formed at the very head of the Bay. 
Upon the whole, confiderable injury was done to the ene¬ 
my by thefe operations, and great alarm excited ; but no 
vital point was reached, nor any of the grand objefts of 
the war materially promoted. Indeed, this defultory and 
coafting warfare, though a favourite with the Britifh pub¬ 
lic, is never likely to lead to any important refult. Its 
fuccefles are fuperficial and palling; while, though the 
fuffering and alarm iniiifted may tend in fome meafure to 
difpofe the minds of the people to peace, this effeft mull 
be counteracted in an equal degree by the irritation which 
it excites. 
In this date of things, however, an overture was made, 
whether fpontaneoufly or fecretly invited, by the ambaf- 
fador of the-emperor of Rufiia, to open a treaty under the 
mediation of that (overeign. The propofition was re¬ 
ceived with alacrity by the Americans; and, even before 
the confent of England had been notified, two envoys were 
fent to the Ruffian court, who, in conjunction with the 
ambafi'ador already refident there, might carry on the pro- 
pofed negotiation. The Britifh cabinet was placed by 
this propofal in a very delicate lituation. Nothing could 
be more plaufible than this offer to negotiate under the 
aufpices of a monarch who was united to England by the 
bonds of the drifted alliance. To reject fuch an offer 
might even endanger the amity fubfilting between the two 
courts, and which it was fo definable to preferve. On the 
other hand, the advantages to America, and the dangers 
to England, from thus conducting the treaty, were alike 
obvious. In all the queftions of neutral privilege, which 
formed the main ground of difeuffion, Ruffia had a com¬ 
mon intereft with America; (he had formerly made war 
almoft upon the fame ground. It could not be doubted, 
therefore, that (lie would fupport, with all her influence, 
the claims of that power. If the rejeftion of her me¬ 
diation were likely to give offence, that of the propoli- 
ti'ons which (lie might afterwards fupport and fanCtion, 
would probably have confequences (till more ferious. It 
was therefore, perhaps, on the whole, wife in the Britifh 
cabinet to decline, on the molt decent polfible pretences, 
this circuitous mode; and to propofe opening a direft 
communication with the American government. 
On the 6th of January, 1814, Mr. Madifon laid before 
congrefs theanfwer of lord Caftlereagh, dated Nov. 4, 1813, 
to the propofition for a negotiation under the mediation 
of Ruflia; in fubftance declining the mediation, but pro- 
fefling a readinefs to treat direftly with the United States 
either in London, or, if that lhould be objefted to, at 
Gottenburgh. The prefident alfo laid before congrefs the 
reply he had ordered Mr. Monroe to make, felefting Got¬ 
tenburgh as the place of negotiation : he has appointed 
Mr. Clay, fpeaker of the houle of reprefentatives, and Mr. 
Ruflel of Rhode Ifland, commilfioners, jointly with Meffrs. 
Bayard and Adams, (Mr. Gallatin has fuice been added,) 
to conduft the negotiations; and they arrived at Gotten¬ 
burgh on the nth of April. But there does not appear 
to be any armiftice in the mean time. - 
“The queftion now arifes,” fays the author of Hiftorica! 
Sketches, “whether, in conducting this treaty, any ad¬ 
vantage ought to be taken of the profpeft which has 
opened 
