full chorus, as the American flag was displayed at their gaff. A thrill
shot through my nerves; my heart swelled, and my eyes filled with tears,
as I beheld the Flag of my Country for the first time for many months. No
one can imagine the love he bears his native land, until he tests it as I
have done. Many were the speculations as to the probability of capturing
the saucy privateersman; for by this time all the sail that the convoy
could possibly set was spread in chase of the enemy, who as yet had made
no attempt to fly, although apparently but a stone's throw ahead of us.
Our captain was the only one in my hearing who seemed to doubt their being
taken: 'The d----d scamps know too well,' said he, 'what their craft can
do, to trust themselves so near us.' We now appeared close on board of
them, and the chase well under way, when each fired a gun in defiance or
derision, and darted off like birds. It was now nearly dark, and we were
not far from land, for which one of the schooners seemed to fly right
before the wind, closely pursued by the frigate, under all the canvass she
could set. The other put out to sea, close-hauled upon the wind. The brig
and transport, the fastest craft in the fleet, crowded all sail, but
without nearing the schooner, as she could lie at least two points more to
windward than her pursuers. They both escaped! The frigate being disabled,
by springing her fore-top-mast, gave up the chase; the others relinquished
the pursuit as fruitless, and rejoined the fleet.

The night was extremely dark; and the next morning two large vessels were
missing. It seemed that the privateers had returned, and hovering around,
watched their opportunity, and captured two of our most richly-freighted
ships; but as those seas were swarming with British cruisers, they were
shortly re-captured and sent to England, where the whole fleet soon
arrived. The West-India fleet came into port about the same time; and the
amount of wealth brought into London by the safe arrival of the Bengal,
China, and West-India fleets, must have been almost incredible. For
myself, I was consigned to a dreary prison, 'as will more particularly
appear' in an ensuing number.

A VERITABLE SEA STORY.

BY HARRY FRANCO.

'The sea, the sea, the o--pen sea, the blue, the _fresh_;' but
here we halt;
Mr. CORNWALL knew very little about the sea, or he would have
written SALT.
'The whales they whistled,