ng an "unlucky" ship. In the cruise just ended she had
accomplished nothing, and as she entered Boston Harbor a gale carried
away a top-mast, and with it several men, who were drowned. This
incident confirmed the belief that she was "unlucky," and it was
difficult to get a good crew to serve in her.

On the morning of the 1st of June Lawrence received from Captain Broke,
of the frigate _Shannon_, a challenge to come out and fight him. It was
promptly accepted, and at noon the _Chesapeake_ sailed out of Boston
Harbor. The hostile frigates met not far at sea. At four o'clock they
opened their broadsides within pistol-shot distance, and fought
desperately. The loss of life on board the _Chesapeake_ was fearful.
Lawrence was mortally wounded, and as he was carried below he uttered
the famous words, in substance, "Don't give up the ship." The
_Chesapeake_ was boarded, captured, and taken to Halifax. Lawrence died
on the way. Broke was severely wounded, but recovered.

The American sloop of war _Argus_, Lieutenant Allen commander, took Mr.
Crawford (American Minister) to France in the summer of 1813, and then
cruised in British waters, imitating the exploits of Paul Jones. Allen
captured and burned twenty merchantmen in the course of a few weeks
(valued, with their cargoes, at full $2,000,000), and spread
consternation throughout commercial England. Several cruisers were sent
out to capture the _Argus_. This was effected in August by the brig
_Pelican_.

The Americans were partially compensated for these misfortunes by the
capture of the British brig _Boxer_ by the brig _Enterprise_, Lieutenant
Burrows. They fought off Portland, at half pistol-shot distance, on the
3d of September, 1813. The commander of the _Boxer_ (Lieutenant Blyth)
had boastfully nailed his flag to her mast, and after a sharp, short,
and destructive engagement, she was compelled to surrender. Her second
officer had to announce the fact through his trumpet, for he could not
haul down her flag. Burrows and Blyth were both slain, and were buried
side by side in a cemetery in Portland.

[Illustration: THE "ESSEX," "PHOEBE," AND "CHERUB."--DRAWN BY J. O.
DAVIDSON.]

One of the most remarkable cruises made during the war of 1812-15 was by
Commander Porter in the frigate _Essex_. She sailed from the Delaware in
October, 1812; went toward the equator to join the _Constitution_ and
_Hornet_, under Bainbridge; missed them; swept around Cape Horn into the
Pacif