stern rakes. We then discovered the sternmost ship wearing also; wore ship immediately after, and gave her a stern rake, she luffing-to on our starboard bow, and giving us her larboard broadside; we ranged up on her larboard-quarter, within hail, and was about to give her our starboard broadside, when she struck her colours, fired a gun, and yielded. At 50 minutes past 6, took possession of H. M. S. Cyane, Captain Gordon Falcon, mounting 34 guns. At eight P. M. filled away after her consort, which was still in sight to leeward. At halfpast 8, found her standing towards us on the starboard tack close hauled, with top-gallant sails set and colours flying. At 50 minutes past 8, ranged close alongside to windward of her, on opposite tacks, and exchanged broadsides; wore immediately under her stern, and raked her with a broadside; she then crowded all sail, and endeavoured to escape by running; hauled on board our tacks, set spanker and flying-jib in chase. At halfpast 9, commenced firing on her from our starboard bow ehaser; gave her several shot, which cut her spars and rigging considerably. At 10 P. M. finding it impracticable to escape, she fired a gun, struck her colours, and yielded. We immediately took possession of H. M. ship Levant, the Hon. Capt. George Douglas, mounting 21 guns. At 1 A. M. the damages of our rigging were repaired, sails shifted, and the ship in fighting condition.

ESCAPE OF THE CONSTITUTION

OUT OF PORT PRAYA,

FROM A BRITISH SQUADRON.

Qualis spelunca subito commota columba,
Cui domus et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi,
Fertur in arva volans, plausumque exterrita pennis
Dat tecto ingentem: mox aëre lapsa quieto,
Radit iter liquidum, celeres neque commovet alas.

LIB. V. V. 213.

As when the dove her rocky hold forsakes,
Rous'd in a fright, her sounding wings she shakes;
The cavern rings with clatt'ring; out she flies,
And leaves her callow care, and cleaves the skies:
At first she flutters; but at length she springs
To smoother flight, and shoots upon her wings.

DRYDEN.

The harbour of Port Praya, in the island of Saint Jago, the chief of the Cape de Verds, possesses good anchorage, and is of easy access. It is somewhat more than a mile and a quarter wide at the entrance, and runs back a mile; gradually narrowing at its head to half a mile. The entrance to the harbour is commanded by a fort placed on the summit of a hill-of which more here. after. The town is situated on a table plain at the top of a rock, whose side is perpendicular to the beach; the houses are built of stone, one story high, and thatched with the leaves of the cocoa-nut tree, which clothes the

valley, and skirts the precipice. Porto Praya is the residence of the governor-general of the Portuguese settlements, both in the Cape de Verd islands, and at Cape Verde on the opposite coast of Africa

While the Constitution was lying at an anchor in the bay with her prizes, the Cyane and Levant, about noon on the 8th of March, 1815, three large ships were descried standing in through a thick fog, under a crowd of sail: the headmost was the Leander of 50 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Sir George Collier; the next to her was the Newcastle, of 50 guns, Lord G. Stewart, and the sternmost was the Acasta, of 38 guns, Captain Kerr. Captain Stewart, on beholding them, felt an involuntary emotion to guard himself against mischief; he snuffed an enemy in the offing, and smelt a rat on the shore. It is not in nature for a Portuguese to get to windward of an American; but particularly of a Scotch American, who, in nicety of tact surpasses the keenest of his progenitors. With a quick sense of the hollowness of neutrality, and the knavery of his Excellency, Don Raphael, the Governor, Captain Stewart lost not a moment to cut and run; and such was his promptitude, that the Constitution was under weigh, close hauled upon a wind, in four minutes from the time the English squadron hove in sight. The perfidy of the governor now became actual and palpable. He not only gave orders for the batteries to be opened on the Constitution, but was seen on the ramparts gesticulating to the gunners, and pointing to the frigate's masts. The crew leaning over the bulwark, or on the port-cells, looked on with indifference; when a shot passed over old Ironsides it produced a smile, and when it fell short a

laugh. At length a young gentleman, who was a passenger on board, and a candidate for a commission in the artillery corps, obtained Captain Stewart's consent to give them a gun as an amateur: it was a shot of retribution: it dismounted a long eighteen-pounder on the battery, and made the whole gang of Portuguese gunners dance a fandango over the breast-work: his Excellency Don Raphael did not indulge that day in his customary siesta: he was borne languid to his palace, where, though crowds of slaves and sycophants testified their sympathy, he had not the inward consolation of one single virtue.

American minutes of the Escape of the U. S. frigate Constitution from an English squadron of three ships, out of Port Praya.

The day commences with fresh breezes and thick foggy weather. At 5 past 12, while we were lying at anchor, discovered a large ship through the fog, standing in for Port Praya. At 8 minutes past 12, saw two other large ships astern of her, also standing in for the port. From their general appearance, supposed them to be one of the enemy's squadrons; and, from the little respect hitherto paid by them to neutral waters, I deemed it most prudent to put to sea. The signal was made to the Cyane and Levant to get under weigh. At 12, after meridian, with our top-sails set, we cut our cable, and got under way (when the Portuguese opened a fire on us from several of their batteries on shore), the prize-ships following our motions, and stood out of the harbour of Port Praya, close under East Point, passing the enemy's squadron about gun-shot to windward of them: crossed our topgallant-yards, and set fore-sail, main-sail, spanker, flying

jib, and top-gallant sails. The enemy, seeing us under way, tacked ship, and made all sail in chase of us. As far as we could judge of their rates, from the thickness of the weather, supposed them two ships of the line, and one frigate. At half-past meridan cut away the boats towing a-stern, first cutter, and gig. At 1 p.m. found our sailing about equal with the ships on our lee-quarter, but the frigate luffing up, gaining our wake, and rather dropping astern of us; finding the Cyane dropping astern, and to-leeward, and the frigate gaining on her fast, I found it impossible to save her if she continued on the same course, without having the Constitution brought to action by their whole force. I made the signal at 10 minutes past 1 p.m. to her to tack ship, which was complied with. This manoeuvre, I conceived, would detach one of the enemy's ships in pursuit of her; while, at the same time, from her position, she would be enabled to reach the anchorage at Port Praya, before the detached ships could come up with ber; but if they did not tack after her, it would afford her an opportunity to double their rear, and make her escape before the wind. They all continued in full chase of the Levant and this ship, the ship on our lee-quarter firing, by divisions, broadsides, her shot falling short of us. At 3 p.m. by our having dropped the Levant considerably, her situation. became (from the position of the enemy's frigate) similar to the Cyane. It became necessary to separate also from the Levant, or risk this ship being brought to action to cover her. I made the signal, at 5 minutes past 3, for her to tack, which was complied with. At 12 minutes past 3, the whole of the enemy's squadron tacked in pursuit of the Levant, and gave up the pursuit of this ship.