The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-01-18

ply of water, left the Bay, and continued her
cruise under the lee of Barbuda. AT day-
light on the thirtieth Of September, two sails
were discovered, bearing down on the Expert
ment, with all sail set, and English colors
hoisted. The Experiment continued laying
too, with the British signal of the day flying,
until they approached within gun-shoi, when,
finding one TO be a brig OF war of eighteen
guns, and the other three-masted schooner
Of fourteen guns, and that they would not an
swer the signal, Lieutenant Stewart deter
mined to retreat from such superior force, and
avail himself of any opportunity that might
offer for cutting of one Of those vessels. II
was soon discovered that the Experiment
could ouisail them, and after fruitless chase
Of two hours, son the wind, they gave up pur-
suit hoisted French colors, fred gun Of de-
fance to windward and kept their vessels off
before the wind. He, being now satisfied of
their character and force, maneuyred to gain
their wake to windward, and thus became the
pursuing vessel in his turn. Sail was crowd
cd on the Experiment, and at about eight
o'clock at night she came up with the three
masted schooner, then the sternmost vessel,
and taking position on her larboard quarter,
poured in broadsde In few minutes the
three-masted schooner struck her colors, and
surrendered TO the Experiment. She proved
to be the French national schooner Diana, of
fourteen guns, commanded by Captain Peran-
deau; Lieutenant de Vaisseau, with de-
tachment of thirty invalid soldiers, and
crew of sixty-fve men, and General Rigaud,
on board, on his way TO France, under the
convoy of the brig of war, which made her
escape, and got into Saint Bartholomew
This prize was despatched to the United
States, under command Of Lieutenant James
II. Caldwell and was restored to the French
under an article Of the treaty, but the captors
were compensated by the government for this
vessel, as others were in many cases.
After disposing ofthe prisoners at st. Chris
topher, Lieutenant Stewart continued on his
cruising ground, and recaptured number of
American vessels which had been taken by
the French, and thus rescued considerable
amount of valuable commerce from the grasp
of their privateers-amongst which was the
brig Zebra, of Baltimore captured by the
Flambeau privateer, of sixteen guns, and in
her company at the time the wind was so
light, and the day SO nearly over before he
could approach, that he could only cut off the
Zebra, and the Flambeau made her escape,
under cover of the night, reached Guada-
loupe.
On the sixteenth of November at midnight
he fell in with an armed vessel and after re-
peatedly hailing and requesting her to heaye-to
that boat might board her for the purpose
of ascertaing her character, and receiving no
answer or other satisfaction, he determined to
bring her to action, and to try his force TO
compel a compliance. The vessel kept up a
running fight with great spirit and determine
ton, for forty minutes, when she became so
cut up and crippled by the Experiments fire,
that she was obliged to strike and submit to
be boarded. She proved TO be the louisa
Bridger, Of Bermuda, carrying eight nine
Founders, with stout crew of Bermudians.
She was so much cut up that the officers and
crew of the Experiment were occupied until
three o'clock next day in repairing her dam
ages; having two shot through her bottom, she
was almost in sinking condition, and when
Lieutenant Porter boarded her, was found to
have four feet of water in the hold. After
putting her in the best repair that circum-
stances admitted, Lieutenant Stewart dis
missed her on her cruise The Experiment
had only one killed 1.-THE boatswan) and two
wounded slightly The wind, during the ac-
ton, was strong and squally, and the Expe-
riment careened so much, that Lieutenant
Stewart, to enable his guns to be sufficiently
depressed, found it necessary to cut three
inch planks into short lengths, and put them
under the trucks of the gun carriages, to raise
the guns sufficiently from the lower port stills.
On the return of the Experiment to St.
Christopher, Commodore 'rruxton ordered
Lieut. Stewart to proceed with a convoy from
Martinique to the Island of st. Thomas, and
thence to Curacao, to look for the United
States brig Pickering and lrigate lnsurgent,
but nothing could be heard of those vessels at
that place; they had both foundered in the
equinoxal gale, with a store ship under their
care, and all hands persisted On leaving
Curacao, the Experiment was ordered TO pro.
coed to Norfolk. Standing in for the Mona
passage, early in the morning, vessel was
discovered in distress, and beating on the reef
off Saona Island. On nearing her, many per-
sons were discovered TO be on board. After
anchoring the Experiment at safe distance
from the reef, he despatched Lieut. Porter
with the boats TO their relief, who, with much
difficulty and danger from the breakers on the
reef, succeeded in rescung from destruction
about sixty women and children, with several
men of the vessels crew. They were the
families of thesmost respectable inhabitants OF
ST Domingo, flying from the seige of that city
by the blacks. They had been on the rocks
for two days, without any thing to eat or
drink and at the time Of their rescue, only a
small portion of the quarter deck was above
water. After the sailors had recovered as
much Of the property as they could, by diving
into the vessels hold the Experiment pro-
ceeded to the city Of st. Domingo with the
rescued persons, where they were all landed
the next day. and restored TO their friends |