The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-03-02

and moderate breezes from E N T.. hoiot-
ed our ensign and pendant. At Is minutes
past meridian, the ship hosted her coiors.
an English ensign. having signal flying at
her main-Red, yellow. Red
AT 70 M. being sufficiently from the
land, and finding the ship to be an English
!rlSaee, toll in the mainsail and ROYALS
Tackled ship and stood for the enemy. At
% Pm the enemy bore down with an inten-
ton "f rakinS us, which we avoided by
wearing. AT 2P. 81. the enemy being with
III hau mile OF Us and to wind ward, and
having hauled down his colors, except an
Union Jack at the mizen mast head, Undue
ed me to give orders to the officer of the Sd
DIVISION to IRE one gun ahead of the enemy
= make him shew his colors, which being
done, brought OF Il fire from us of the whole
ofeaoside, on which the enemy hoisred his
colors and immediately returned our fire
4 general action with round and grape
then commenced, the enemy keeping at
much greater distance than wished, but
could not bring him to closer action with
out exposing ourselves to several rakes.
Considerable manenvres were made by.
Doth vessels to rake and avoid being raked
ne following minutes were taken during
the action
AT 10 P. NJ. Commenced the action with
IN good grape and canister dis
lance, the enemy to wndward (but
much further than wished.)
AT SO Our wheel was shot entirely away
10 Determined to close with the enc
my. notwithstanding his raking, set
the fore and mainsail and iufT'd up
close to him.
50,The enemy's jib boom got foul of
~. our rigging.
) 90 he head of the enemy's bowsprit
and Jib boom shot away by u.s.
O5 Shot away the cnemy's foremost
by the board.
Is Shot away his main top mast lust
above the cap.
40 Shot away gaf and spanker-boom.
so Shot away his mizen mast nearly by
the board.
r.. O5 Having. silenced the fire of the en-
envy completely, and his colors in
main rigging being down, supposed
he had struck, then hauled aboard
the courses to shoot ahead to re-
pair our rigging which was ex-
tremely cut, leaving the enemy
complete wreck !; soon after disco
vered the enemy's flag was still
hylng-Hove too to repair some of
our damage.
4 20 The enemies main-mast went
nearly by the board.
4 SO Wore ship and stood for the enc
my.
IS Got very close to the enemy in a
very effectual raking POSITION, athwart his
BOWS, and was at the very instant of ra king
him, when he most prudently struck his
aag, for had he suffered the broaGside to
nave raked him, his additional loss must
have been extremely great, as he laid an
unmanageable wreck on the water. After
the enemy had struck, wore ship and reef
q lie H..
two remaining boats we had left out of s.
and sent Lieut.. Parker, 1st of the Constitu
ton, to take possession of the enemy, which
proved to be his Britannia Majesty's frigate
Java, rated thirty eight but carried forty
nine guns. and manned with upwards
OF 400 men, commanded by Captain
Lambert, a very distinguished officer. who
was mortaiIy wounded.
The action continued from the commence
ment to the end of the FIRE one hour and
s. minutes The Constitution had 9 killed
and IS wounded. The enemy had 60 Kill
led and 10I certainly wounded, but by a
letter written on board he Constitution, by
one OF the officers of the Java, and acc;den-
tally found, 1t is evident the enemy's wound
ed must have been considerably greater
than as above stated, and who must have
died of their wounds previously to their be-
ing removed. The letter states 60 killed
ana lIO wounded. The lava had her own
complement OF men complete, and upwards
OF 100 supernumeraries, going to join the
British ships OF war in the East Indies, also
several oihcers, passengers, going out on
promotion.
he force OF the enemy in number of men
at the commencement of the action was
no doubt considerably greater than we have
been abfe to ascertain which is upwards |
of 400 men. The officers we're extremely
Cautions in discovering the number. BY !
her quarter bill, she had one man mere |
stationed to- each gun than we had.
The Constitution was very much cut in !
her sails and rigging and many of her spars |
injured. AT p. III. the boat returned with |
Lieut.. Chads, the first lieutenant of tie en-
emy's !siSats, and acknowledgement HisIop /
(appoiBted Governor of Bombay,) Major |
Walker and Capt. Wood belonging to his |
staff.
Captain Lambert of the Java was too
dangerously wounded to be removed imme- /
diately.
The Gutter returned on board the prize |
for the prisoners, and brought capt. Mar.
shall master and commander of the British
navy, who was passenger on board, as also
several other naval officers, destlned for ships |
in the T.. Indies.
The Java was an important ship, fitted |
out in the completest manner, to carry
Lieut.. Gen. Hislop and staff to Bombay, and |
several naval officers for different ships in
the r. Indies and had disnat rb.s g.. &. |