d to be unanswerable; and the
captain of the privateer surrendered his vessel, which was taken
possession of by the Americans; while her crew of forty-five men was
ordered into confinement in the dungeons of the fort which had so
lately held captive Americans. Other boarding parties were then sent
to the other vessels in the harbor, which proved to be American craft,
captured by the British sloop-of-war "Grayton."

At sunrise the sleeping town showed signs of reviving life, and a
party of the audacious Yankees marched down to the house of the
governor. That functionary was found in bed, and in profound ignorance
of the events of the night. The Americans broke the news to him none
too gently, and demanded the keys of a disused fortress on the
opposite side of the harbor from Fort Nassau. For a time the governor
was inclined to demur; but the determined attitude of the Americans
soon persuaded him that he was a prisoner, though in his own house,
and he delivered the keys. Thereupon the Americans marched through the
streets of the city, around the harbor's edge to the fort, spiked the
guns, and carrying with them the powder and small-arms, marched back
to Fort Nassau.

But by this time it was ten o'clock, and the whole town was aroused.
The streets were crowded with people eagerly discussing the invasion.
The timid ones were busily packing up their goods to fly into the
country; while the braver ones were hunting for weapons, and
organizing for an attack upon the fort held by the Americans. Fearing
an outbreak, Capt. Rathburne sent out a flag of truce, making
proclamation to all the inhabitants of New Providence, that the
Americans would do no damage to the persons or property of the people
of the island unless compelled so to do in self-defence. This pacified
the more temperate of the inhabitants; but the hotheads, to the number
of about two hundred, assembled before Fort Nassau, and threatened to
attack it. But, when they summoned Rathburne to surrender, that
officer leaped upon the parapet, and coolly told the assailants to
come on.

"We can beat you back easily," said he. "And, by the Eternal, if you
fire a gun at us, we'll turn the guns of the fort on your town, and
lay it in ruins."

This bold defiance disconcerted the enemy; and, after some
consultation among themselves, they dispersed.

About noon that day, the British sloop-of-war "Grayton" made her
appearance, and stood boldly into the harbor where lay the