e people of the town crowded the wharves or filled the windows
and the housetops overlooking the bay. The streets were gay with
bunting, and there was a grand dinner, with many patriotic speeches
and deafening cheers.

In less than five months after her battle with the Guerriere, the
Constitution had her hardest fight. It was with the Java, one of the
best frigates in the British navy. Her commander, Captain Lambert,
was said to be {180} one of the ablest sailors that ever handled a
war ship. The battle took place some thirty miles off the northeast
coast of Brazil.

The Constitution was commanded by Captain William Bainbridge. Before
this, he had done some feats of seamanship, but thus far in his
career he had not been fortunate. As you remember, Captain
Bainbridge, through no fault of his own, lost the Philadelphia off
the harbor of Tripoli.

The battle began about two o'clock in the afternoon, with broadsides
from both frigates.

Bainbridge was soon wounded in the hip by a musket ball; then the
wheel was shattered, and a small copper bolt was driven into his
thigh. Unwilling to leave the deck a moment, he had his wounds
dressed while directing the battle.

Finding that he could not get near enough to the swift British
frigate, Bainbridge boldly headed for the enemy. There was great risk
of getting raked, but fortunately the Java's shots went wild.

[Illustration: "Old Ironsides" bearing down on a British Man-of-War]

"Old Ironsides" was now within close range of the Java, and the fire
of her heavy cannon soon left the British frigate dismasted and
helpless. The British did not surrender, however, until every stick
in the ship except a part of the mainmast had been cut away.

Captain Lambert was mortally injured, his first lieutenant severely
hurt, and nearly fifty men were killed and more than one hundred
wounded. "Old Ironsides" came out of the battle with every spar in
place.

{181} The wheel of the Java was removed and fitted on the
Constitution, to replace the one which had been shot away.

A few years after the war, some British naval officers paid a visit
to "Old Ironsides."

"You have a most perfect vessel," said one of them, "but I must say
that you have a very ugly wheel for so beautiful a frigate."

"Yes," said the American captain to whom the remark was made, "it is
ugly. We lost our wheel in fighting the Java, and after the battle we
replaced it with her wheel, and somehow we have never fe