The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1814-03-10
Glsar GDents.
Commodore Rodgers's Cruize.


In pursuance of your directions, sailed
from Providence the 5ih of December; and
although expected to have run the gauntlet
through the enemy's squadron, that was re-
ported to be cruizing between Block Island
and Gsyhead for the purpose Of insercep,ing
the President, / had the good luck TO avoid
them. The day after leaving Providence, /
recspturod the American schooner Comet, of
and bound to New-York, with cargo of cot
ton, from Savannah, which had been captur-
ed by the Families and Loire, and in their
possession about 4S hours. In few hours
after rccspturing the Comet, sail was dis.
covered to the eastward, which felt inclined
to avoid, from the circumstance OF the wealth
cr being hazy, and knowing that was in To
neighbofhood Of an enemy's squadron from
an advantage of wind, she was enabled, how
ever, to gain our lee beam at the distance of
8 or miles, owing to which l was induced
to shorten sail, with the intention of offering
her battle in the morning, should nothing else
be in sight, and she not a ship of the line.
The weather becoming more obscure at 2
o'clock, prevented our seeing her until day
light, when she stood from Us to the N. E. al
though the President was hove too to let her
come up. From this date until the 25th, we
did not sec q single sail, except the Recovery
"a brig belonging and bound 10 Pcnobscot,
from ST. Bartholomew in ballasD until after
reaching the long. IS, and lat. l9, being car
ried that far eastward by S. W. gale, accom-
panied by snch heavy sea, as to render heav-
ing to impracticable without Infinite risk,
when two large sails were discovered stand
ing the northward, and to which gave chaco,
believing. as we'll from the situation in which
they were frat discovered, az the manifest
disposition they afterwards Showed TO avoid
a separation, that one was frigatc and the
other an Indiaman under her convoy in this
/ was mistaken, for on a nearer approach
could discover the headmost was frigate
with ports abaft her ganway, and the other
ship of equal or little inferior force on dis
covering their decided superiority, and sup
posing them to be enemy's ships, endeavor-
ed during the succeeding night to separate
them by steering different courses and occa-
sionally shelving light but was unable to
succeed, for the hcadmost at one time was SO
near that she fired shot over Us, whilst her
conssrt was but few hundred yards astern of
her. now directed our course to be altered,
made sail, and continued the rema;ndcr OF
the night to shew them light occasionally,
bus to no effect, as at daylight they we're dis
covered to be in situation to unite their
force. After this shaped course to reach
a position to windward of Barbados, on par
allcl Of longitude with Cayenne, and did not
meet another vessel till the 3oth, when fall
ling in with Portuguese brig, and receiving
information that shc had been boarded 35
hours before by two British store ships bound
to the West.lndies with 200 troops on board,
crcuded sail to the westward in the hope Of
overtaking them in this was again disap-
pointed, and after pursuit of four days,haul-
ed further southwark to gain the latitude OF
Barbs loes and in that situation on the 5,h of
January, captured the British merchant ship
Wanderer, Of guns and L men, from Lon
don bound to jamaica, partly loaded with
plantation stores, and after taking from her
such light articles as we're of most value, sunk
her. In the same position on tho zih, tell
in with the British merchant ship Prince
George, in the character Of cartel win
prisoners, which with four other British ves-
sells had been captured by two French a. gun
frigates, the Medusa & Nymph, the same
ships had fallen in With IA days before On
board of the Prince George sent the prison
ers captured in the Wanderer to Barbadoes
on parole, On the 9th of Januasy, while still
to windward OF Barbados, captured tnc
ship Edward, of 6 guns and men, from LoR-
don, bound to Lagsira in ballast--which ves-
sci also sunk. Having learnt from the mas
ter of the Edward, as we'll as those of the
Wandercr and Prince George, that they had
been separated in the Bay of Biscay from
their convoy, consisting of the Queen, rs,
two frigates, and two sloops Of war, was in
duccd, owing to belief that the convoy was
still to the eastward, to remain to windward
Of Barbados, until the / 9th Of January,when
finding they mus, have passed, changed my
ground and ran OFF Cayenne, and from thence
down the coast of Surripam, Bcrbi-c spu
Demarara, through 5ctveen Tobago and
Grenada thence through the Caribbean Sea.
along the south cas-, side Of Porto Rico, thro'
the Mana Passage, down the north side OF
Jamaica and other leeward islands without
meeting single vessel of the enemy, or any