1812     PRESIDENT AND BELVIDERA     85

to British commerce by a formidable American squadron, possessing the singular advantage of having its hostile intentions unknown.

Had the President, when she fell in with the Belvidera, been cruising alone, we can readily imagine, judging from what took place in the Little-Belt's case, that Commodore Rodgers would have magnified the British frigate into a line-of-battle ship, and have done his utmost to avoid her ; but we are quite at a loss, we confess, to account for the Commodore's irresolution in not closing with the Belvidera, when he had a squadron of friends close at his heels. It was that irresolution which produced those many yawings and traverses in the President's course ; and it was those yawings and traverses that, coupled with the masterly manner in which the Belvidera was handled, saved her from being captured. Meaning, some have thought, to compliment, others to quiz, his political opponent, the democratic commodore, Captain Isaac Hull of the Constitution, a stanch federalist, says to the secretary of the American navy: " I am confident, could the commodore have got alongside the Belvidera, she would have been his in less than one hour."

A contemporary informs us, that Lieutenant Sykes " was promoted to the rank of commander, as a compliment, not only to his captain and himself, but to the officers and ship's crew, which certainly would not have been done, had there been any want of discipline observable in the ship." * With respect to the Belvidera's first lieutenant, Captain Brenton has been misinformed. Lieutenant Sykes was not made a commander until the 2d of November, 1814 ; and, as he had then been a lieutenant more than 19 years, he was entitled to the promotion upwards of two years before, even had he not distinguished himself in the Belvidera, and been recommended to the admiralty by her captain as "an excellent officer." Our contemporary's mysterious allusion about " want of discipline," we do not understand.

It was intended that the frigate Essex lying at New-York should form part of the squadron of Commodore Rodgers, but she could not be got ready in time. The Essex was the smallest frigate belonging to the United States, measuring only 867 tons. Her armament consisted almost wholly of 32-pounder carronades: she mounted 24, with two long 12-pounders, on the main deck, and 16, with four loner 12-pounders on the quarterdeck and forecastle ; total 46 guns The rate of the Essex in the American navy-list was of " 32 guns ;" and her complement, as subsequently acknowledged by Captain David Porter, who so long commanded her was 328 men. The usual addition of, " and boys, " as applied to the crew of an American ship, would convey a very erroneous impression ; therefore we do not use it. But, to those acquainted with the usual composition of the crews of British ships of war, it will appear the most extraordinary

* Brenton, vol. v., p. 47.

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