1812	President and Congress with Galatea	125

bank of Newfoundland, the President and Congress fell in with and captured the Jamaica homeward-bound packet Swallow, with a considerable quantity of specie on board. On the 31st, at 9 a.m., latitude 32�, longitude 30�, they fell in with the British 36-gun frigate Galatea, Captain Woodley Losack, having under her charge two South-sea whalers, the Argo and Berkeley, with which she had sailed from the island of Ascension on the 3d. At this time both parties were standing on the starboard tack, the Galatea, with the Berkeley in tow, to windward. Casting on her tow, the Galatea bore down to reconnoitre ; and at 10 a.m., discovering that the two strangers were enemies, she made the signal to her convoy to make the best of their way into port. Having arrived within about four miles upon the weather beam of the President, who with the Congress in close line astern of her, was still on the starboard tack hastening to get to windward, the Galatea hauled up on the same tack. The two American frigates now displayed their colour, and the commodore hoisted his broad pendant. Fortunately for the Galatea, Captain Losack had heard of the war three days before from the outward-bound Indiaman Inglis.

At about noon the President tacked, as if to get into the wake of the Galatea ; who began to be apprehensive that she should be placed between her two enemies, and was only relieved when she observed the Congress tack in succession. Shortly afterwards the Galatea herself tacked, and did so again upon the American ships tacking towards her. The Galatea now edged away, to get upon her best point of sailing ; and just at this moment the Argo, having bore up, in the vain hope of crossing the hawse of the American frigates and escaping to leeward, was intercepted by them. After the two frigates had lain to a long time, and witnessed, with apparent unconcern, the gradual departure of the Galatea, the President filled and made sail, but in such a manner as clearly indicated, that the commodore did not like to proceed in chase of the sister-ship of the Belvidera, unaccompanied by his consort. The President set her topmast studding sails, then her topgallant, and lastly her lower studdingsails, and, as soon as it became dark, took all in and hauled to the wind. The Galatea of course escaped, although, being 93 men short of complement, she could scarcely have resisted with any effect, an attack by the smaller of the two American frigates.

From the 1st to the 30th of November the President and Congress did not see a sail. They subsequently cruised between Bermuda and the Capes of Virginia, and on the 31st of December anchored in the harbour of Boston ; having, in the course of their 84 days' unsuccessful cruise, been as far to the eastward as longitude 22� west, and to the southward as latitude 17� north. Soon after the arrival of these frigates at Boston, 25, of the crew of the Congress went on the quarterdeck to

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