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much in association connected with the scene, deeply interesting to the thought, as I contemplated the view around me, while leisurely gazing over the hammock nettings of the ship. The French frigate Andromache lay by the side of us at a distance of less than a cable's length, commanded by Commodore Villeneuse, nephew of the Admiral Villeneuse, who lost the action with Nelson at Trafalgar.

The spot of the engagement between the Essex and the two English ships, when Porter so heroically defended his vessel, was full in view; and the scene and the evolutions of the action seemed to come up before the mind with the vividness of the reality, as I gazed on the localities of the conflict. And Her British Majesty's naval force was now lying nearus, on the same waters. But the reports of the cannon of those who, years before, had exchanged shot as enemies, had now sent over these same waters, the loud report of guns, as complimentary salutes to each other, as friends.

The Chilian fleet, too, was sprinkled over the bay, with the dismantled prizes taken by the Chilians from Peru. But the more interesting object seen beyond them all, was the sight of the American houses, occupying their rest on the hill-side, like an eyrie of the lofty bird of our own republic. I spent an hour in sketching a view of them, as they are seen overlooking the exchange and city beneath, and the farout ocean, on the edge of which our own ships, in full view, were now resting. Occasionally, a blast from French bugles would come softly over the water, from a guard-boat, which seemed to be lying near in to the shore, to offer any assistance that might be needed, and to prevent the presence of sharks, or other inconveniences that might disturb the Chilians or the ladies of the foreign residents, while they were enjoying their sea-baths, in full but distant view of the shipping.

It was known that our ship only waited for a breeze,

while the John Adams was yet to remain a day or two after our sailing.

The breeze came in, and expectation was alive with curiosity to mark the evolutions of the American ship, while getting under way. As yet, however, not a man was seen aloft; and the frigate, to a distant observer, would have appeared without an inmate on board, at her rest, as if she would slumber on for ever, so far as any appearance of action was concerned, within or without. But she slept not long, while the glasses from many a ship were pointed towards her, to mark the first movements which should indicate her intention to put to sea. The iron stanchions had already been knocked away at the after hatch-the gratings put down-and the bars shipped to the capstan by the carpenters. Suddenly, the boatswain's whistle, repeated by each of his mates, came with its shrill sound over the gun-deck, succeeded by the deep and hoarse cry, "All hands to up anchor, ahoy!" There was a spell in this cry, that woke near five hundred men to instant and specific duty, whatever may have been their employment or leisure for an idle or busy moment before.

Though there are associations, often, on leaving the places where we have formed new friendships, and been variously gratified, which awaken regret, and, it may be, very deep sorrow, yet the well-known sound that declares the ship is again about to weigh her anchor and sail for a new destination, generally comes with a welcome to the ear, and lights up every countenance with gratification.

The boatswain's cry, already given, had hardly died away along the decks, before every officer and man were at their stations.

"Man the bars!" cried the First Lieutenant, who becomes the officer of the deck when "all hands "" are called; and from three to four hundred men as instantly placed their

athletic forms to the bars of the capstan; while others stretched along the messenger, extending from the capstan to the bows of the ship and used for the purpose of heaving in, with the aid of the capstan to which it is attached, the heavy iron chain by which the frigate swings.

"Round with the capstan-cheerily, menen-round with her!" again cried the First Lieutenant, while the music struck up a lively air, to which the men marked time with the tramp of their feet as they moved round with the messenger, which warped in the clanking chain as the ship glided easily ahead, obedient to the pressure of the power now applied to the bars of the capstan.

"Heave, men-heave, I say! round with her. Now she comes, finely-cheerily, and away with her, I say!" and other expressions now encouraged the tugging crew, obedient to the encouraging voices of their officers and the exciting spirit of the music, as the many fathoms of the clanking iron came in, fathom on fathom, while the coil of the messenger was wound around the capstan, as the spider gathers in his silken thread, on which he has swung in the current of the breeze, either for pastime or for prey.

The stir in the ship, and the music to which the men were walking around with the capstan, had already attracted the gaze from the neighboring ships, leaving it no longer a doubt that the moment had come when the Columbia was to

move.

"Pall the capstan !" cried the First Lieutenant through his trumpet, as he stood upon the horse-block, the interest of the scene becoming each moment more exciting; and the iron cable having been wound in to a few fathoms of its perpendicular to the anchor.

The long shrill of the boatswain's whistle at this order, was the known token to the men to cease their pressure upon the bars. The music ceased, and the tramp of feet upon the

deck was hushed. At this moment I looked, as I stood upon the arm-chest of the quarter-deck, to mark the different ships of the harbor. The French frigate lay but a short distance from our side, with a number of her officers gazing from the poop-deck, while the spy-glass was passing from hand to hand. The John Adams was farther in, and astern of us. Her forecastle was crowded with midshipmen and forward officers, while her poop-deck was covered with the lieutenants and her commander; and from every port-hole that commanded a view of our ship were seen the heads of the crew, breaking orders in their curiosity and interest, while they gazed upon their consort. I thought I could estimate their feelings. They knew that the eyes of the French and the English were upon us, and wished that the evolutions of the frigate might do herself credit. The English ships were farther in the distance, still inside of us, but in full view; and from every direction the eye of nautical criticism and interest was awake. I confess I had caught the fever of the moment myself, and hoped and believed that the Columbia would do herself justice and credit at this moment, when her further movements would be in full view of so many interested gazers.

"Send the men on deck to loose sails," calmly enunciated the First Lieutenant through his sounding-tube. "Man the top-sail sheets and halyards," he continued to enunciate. "Lay aloft, sail-loosers."

At this last order, 250 men were seen in the rigging, gliding with the rapidity of wild cats up the rattlings of the ship to the tops, where they again paused for the further order, before they moved, rendering the scene that had just passed almost one of magic, while their persons were now hardly seen, as they stowed close and listless to the mast, unlike the things of life, they, a moment before, had exhibited themselves in their passage up the rigging.

"Man the boom try-sail lines-trice up-lay out and loose."

This order was yet lingering on the lips of the Lieutenant when the tops disgorged their two hundred and more men, as they shot themselves along the yards, and with nimble fingers unknotted the gaskets that confined the sails in rolls, compressed to their smallest possible dimensions, to the yards.

"Are you ready with the main ?" asked the officer through his trumpet. "Are you ready with the fore? Are you ready with the mizzen ?"

"All ready, sir," came severally from the tops of the several masts, as they were hailed.

"Let fall-sheet home and hoist away the top-sails!" was the next order, at which the canvas dropped from the top-sail and top-gallant yards, in unison and beauty, as if some sea-fowl, resting upon the water, had suddenly spread her wings, and fluttered for a moment, before she cut the blue air on her swift and distant course.

Only a moment had passed and the top-sails were sheeted home-the men were again upon deck—and the top-sail yards, as the music again was heard, were hoisted to their place, so as to bring the sails to their proper tension, while the top-gallant-sails hung bellying at their pleasure, till another order should elevate the yards from the cross-trees.

The yards were now braced so that the head sails, contrary to the main and mizzen, should receive the wind and cause the ship to pay off to the leeward, when the anchor should be tripped. The bars were again manned, and the capstan, to the measured time of the tramp of the men and the music which inspired them, moved cheerily around, until a voice came from the Second Lieutenant, on the forecastle :

"The anchor is away, sir!" The ship now paid off— the jib halyards were manned and the sail run up, with the airiness of a rising kite-the head yards were braced full; and

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