On the arrival of commodore Preble with his flotilla off Tripoli, an attack on that place was resolved on. The squadron now consisted of the frigate Constitution, the brigs Siren and Argus, the schooners Vixen, Nautilus, and Enterprise, with two bombards and six gun-boats. The enemy's line of gun-boats, twenty in number, was moored about fifty yards from their batteries. It was covered on the left flank by a battery of twelve guns built on the rocks projecting into the sea; on the right, by a corvette brig of eighteen, a schooner of fourteen, and two gallies of eight guns each; and in the rear by the bashaw's castle, the batteries of the arsenal, the bastions of the town wall, and a triple tier of guns on the point of the mole. On the morning of the 3d of August, 1804, the signal was made for bombarding the town and the enemy's vessels. The gun-boats advanced to the attack of the enemy's line, led on by captain Decatur, and covered by the frigate, the brigs and schooners. We forbear to repeat the particulars of this second victory obtained over the Tripolitans, chiefly by the exertions of that gallant officer: they will be found recorded in the biographical notice to which we have already referred. It was on the occasion of this splendid victory that the pope is said to have exclaimed, "the Americans have done more for Christendom in one battle, than all Europe in a century."

Lieutenant Stewart had been promoted to the rank of master and commander, and now received his commission, dated the 17th of May, 1804.

The squadron was prepared for another attack on the town, and the batteries to the westward, as the enemy's flotilla could not be again drawn out of the harbour. This attack was made on the 6th of August, at ten o'clock in the morning. Unfortunately the Siren's gun-boat, commanded by Lieutenant Caldwell, was struck by a red-hot shot, which passed through her and blew her up. The boats of the Siren were despatched to the relief of those of her crew who survived the accident. Many of them were saved, though much burnt. About this time, captain Stewart discovered two of

the enemy's gallies standing for the bombard commanded by lieutenant Robinson, which had taken a position to windward. A press of sail was immediately made on the Siren and she was got up in time to save that vessel from the enemy's grasp. The attacks on the town and batteries were frequently renewed by the squadron with great effect; but the enemy's caution with respect to his flotilla, prevented them from making any more prizes. In these attacks, however, several of his gunboats were destroyed, one of his gallies was sunk, and the corvette brig so much damaged, as to be rendered quite useless. These and other successes, at length compelled the barbarians to listen to justice, and sue for peace.

Master-commandant Stewart returned to the United States in command of the frigate Constellation, and on the 22d day of April, 1806, was promoted to the rank of captain in the navy. During part of the years 1806 and 1807, he was employed in superintending the construction of gunboats at New York. Convinced of the inadequacy of this species of naval force, he recommended to the secretary of the navy, to substitute for it floating batteries mounting forty guns each; but his recommendation received no other notice than a complimentary official letter. After completing the service for which he was stationed at New York, he was engaged in mercantile pursuits to the East Indies.

In 1812, on the prospect of a war with Great Britain, he was appointed to the command of the frigate Constellation; but as that ship required so much repair that there was little hope of getting her to sea before the beginning of 1813, captain Stewart, on the declaration of war, proceeded to Washington and projected an expedition for the Argus and Hornet. The president and secretary of the navy approved of it, and appointed captain Stewart to undertake its direction. He returned to New York for that purpose, but those vessels had sailed with the squadron under the command of commodore Rodgers, and the project was, in consequence, abandoned.

In September he resumed the command of the Constellation, and by the month of January she was completely equipped. She was directed to proceed at first to Norfolk. On the 4th of February, 1813, she anchored in Hampton Roads, very late in the evening. Having learnt that the enemy were off the Chesapeake in great force, and presuming that they would soon be informed of her situation, captain Stewart sent to Hampton at midnight, for a Norfolk pilot, in order to be prepared for a retreat, if it should become necesssary. At seven o'clock next morning, the enemy approached with two ships of the line, three frigates, a brig and a schooner. No time was now to be lost. Captain Stewart got up his anchor, and there being no wind, and the ebb-tide making, commenced kedging his ship towards Norfolk. He succeeded in getting her partly over the flats at Sowell's point, when the tide had fallen so much that she took the ground. By this time the enemy had got within three miles of her position, when they were obliged to anchor. Captain Stewart, apprehensive that they would kedge up one of their line-of-battle ships, pressed all the craft he could lay hold of, unloaded his frigate of every thing that could be removed, and made preparations for burning her, in the last extremity. He sent to Norfolk for the gun-boats to assist him, but such was their condition that none of them could be sent to him. As the enemy lay quiet for the want of wind until the flood-tide made, captain Stewart continued lightening the ship. At the first quarter she floated. He then sent off the boats with a pilot to station them on the different shoals with lights; and with these precautions he was enabled to get the ship up to Norfolk in the night, through a difficult channel. Her safe retreat diffused universal joy among the inhabitants of that city, to whose security she afterwards greatly contributed. A division of gun-boats was put in condition for service, and manned from her crew. By this means the communication with James river, and Hampton was kept open, and every facility afforded to the transportation of the troops to their different stations.

Captain Stewart, seeing that there was hardly a possibility of getting the Constellation to sea, applied for and obtained in June, 1813, the command of the frigate Constitution, then vacant by the appointment of commodore Bainbridge to the superintendence of the navy-yard at Boston. On the 30th of December, in the same year, the Constitution proceeded to sea from Boston harbour, although it was then blockaded by seven ships of war. During this cruise she captured the British schooner-of-war Picton of sixteen guns, together with a letter-of-marque ship under her convoy; the brig Catharine and schooner Phenix; and chased a British frigate, supposed to be the La Pique, in the Mona passage. On the 4th of April, 1814, she returned to Boston bay, and was chased into Marblehead by two of the enemy's heavy frigates, La Nymphe and Junon. The return of the Constitution into port without having performed the latter part of her cruise, as directed by the navy department, gave occasion to an inquiry, the result of which proved satisfactory to the officers of that ship, as well as to the government, and the public.

About the middle of December, 1814, she proceeded on her second cruise under the command of captain Stewart. On the 24th of the same month, she captured and destroyed the brig Lord Nelson. She cruised off cape Finisterre, the rock of Lisbon, and the Madeiras, without meeting with any thing except a merchant ship from the river of Plate: but on the 20th of February, 1815, at two o'clock in the afternoon, two ships were discovered to leeward. Chase was given immediately to one of those vessels, which was several miles to windward of the other, for the purpose of cutting her off from her consort; but without effect: for at sunset they formed a junction, and prepared to receive the Constitution. She soon got alongside of them, and commenced the action, which was kept up with considerable vivacity on the part of the eneiny, for about forty minutes; when the headmost ship bore away, and the sternmost struck her flag. The latter, which proved to be his Britannic majesty's ship Cyane, rated at

twenty and mounting thirty-four guns, was taken possession of, and her consort was pursued without delay. She too, the Levant of twenty-one guns, was compelled to surrender, after exchanging broadsides. In these actions, the Constitution had three men killed and thirteen wounded. She proceeded with her prizes to St. Jago, one of the Cape de Verd islands, where preparations were made to send the prisoners to Barbadoes in cartels. But on the 12th of March, an enemy's squadron, consisting of three heavy ships, was seen standing in for the anchorage. The Constitution and her two prizes were immediately got under way, and were chased That frigate, with her prize the Cyane, had the good fortune to escape; but the Levant being forced to put into Port Praya was attacked and retaken, close under the guns of a Portuguese battery. The Constitution proceeded to the southward of the equator, in search of the British ship Inconstant, which was said to be on her way to England, with a large quantity of specie on board. She did not, however, fall in with that ship. At Maranam, on the Brazil coast, she disposed of her prisoners; sailed from thence to windward of the West In dia islands, and touched at St. John's, Porto Rico, where she was informed that peace had been made between the United States and Great Britain. She then returned to Boston. At that city and New York, captain Stewart received the attentions due to distinguished commanders; and his fellow citizens of Philadelphia intend to present him with a piece of plate, commemorating his capture of the Cyane and the Le

vant.

Journal of a Voyage up the River Missouri, performed in the year 1811.—By H. M. Brackenridge, Esq.

On the second of April, 1811, Mr. Brackenridge left the village of St. Charles, for the purpose of ascending the Missouri river, in a barge manned with twenty stout oarsmen, un

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