1813	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	196

armament of the Peacock's class was 32-pounders, there cannot be a doubt ; any more than that the brig, being new and built of oak, was well able to bear them. But Captain Peake probably considered that 24-pounders gave a lighter appearance to his deck, and took up less room. We know not what other reason to assign for the change.

We left in the port of Boston the three American frigates Constitution, * President, and Congress, � A fourth, the 36-gun frigate Chesapeake, Captain Samuel Evans, sailed from Boston on the 17th of December, 1812 ; ran down past Madeira, the Canaries, and Cape-de-Verds ; thence on the equator between longitudes 16� and 25� ; where the American frigate cruised six weeks. The Chesapeake afterwards steered for the coast of South America, and passing within 15 leagues of Surinam, was on the same spot on which the Hornet had, the day previous, sunk the Peacock. The frigate then cruised off Barbadoes and Antigua, and, steering homewards, passed between Bermuda and the Capes of Virginia. Standing to the northward, the Chesapeake passed within 12 leagues of the Capes of Delaware and 20 of New-York, and on the 18th of April, 1813, re-entered Boston by the eastern channel ; having, during her 115 days' cruise, recaptured one merchant vessel and captured four, been chased by a British 74 and frigate, and chased on her part, for two days, a British brig-sloop.

Among the captains of British 38-gun frigates who longed, ardently longed, for a meeting with one of the American 44s, was Captain Philip Bowes Vere Broke, of the Shannon. This desire was not founded on any wish for a display of personal valour, but in order to show to the world, what apparent wonders could be effected, where the ship and the crew were in all respects fitted for battle. It was not since the late American war, that Captain Broke had begun to put his frigate in fighting order, and to teach his men the art of attack and defence. From the day on which Captain Broke had joined her, the 14th of September, 1806, the Shannon began to feel the influence of her captain's proficiency as a gunner and zeal for the service.

The laying of a ship's ordnance, so that it may be correctly fired in a horizontal direction, is justly deemed a most important operation ; as upon it depends, in a great measure, the true aim and destructive effect of every future shot she may fire. On board the Shannon, at her first outfit, this was attended to by Captain Broke in person ; and his ingenious mode of laying ships' ordnance has since received the highest commendation. By draughts from other ships, and the usual means to which a British man of war is obliged to resort, the Shannon got together a crew; and, in the course of a year or two, by the paternal care and excellent regulations of Captain Broke, an under-sized,

* See p: 138 � See p. 125.

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