Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-06-01

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| Andiog hiniselisin 40 awkward scrape, relent.
ed bis iron rule, and even eondescsndeG to
| cn-ry favor with the men by frequent double
| allowances Of grog. 1t was too late.
Upptsin the Honorable Charles p
| was more than usually physically brave
man, ape morbidly ambitious of distinction in
| the servIco. lie eagerly longed TO ind hin-
| sell vIctrr iu u stout fight; and his belief. no
doubt, was that the unsparng nse of the lash
WAS the only mode OF getting his ship in hrst-
rate fighting coDditon-such u condition that
triumph over an enemy, not too much over
matching hm-tbe sloop Saturn engaging o
! q French frigaie, for exampe--wOuld be al
most u matter OF certainty.
No such chance had been afforded him -
The SsturD's exploits bad reached no loftier
range than the capture of two or three mer.
chant vessels, and Captain the Honorable
Charles r was returning to England
with no more liz hting reputation than be had
gone out with This niscbance CALLED and
irrltaied him more than the midshipuun af
fair, which "iutluential relations" woold, be
felt confident, enable him to pull through
without lncurrlng any unbearable amour. Of
public obliquy.
This eager, und, let me add entirely self.
isb anxiety to acquire fighting reputation,
totally destitute, as the feeling was, of patri.
otto inspiration, was well known TO the Sa.
turns, who. on their part, bud thoroughly re-
solved that be should never be nude the hero
by them come what, come might
do not suppose any regular agreement
bad been come to by the crew as to ho,c they
would uct 10 certain cuntingeD3es-the free.
masoury of hate aud vengeance would be-
sure to supply, when favorable circumstances
occurred. an electric communication requiring
no words to make il perfectly intelligibls tn
Them ali. /, SO fell out
The Saturn sailed from the Bay of Fupdy
in the month Of March but encoupteriog
heuvy reverse gales, made u comparatively
slight progress for 50 swift ship, and one 50
cIeverly haDdled--C Captain Charles F.
being. with all his wees Of character, u FIRST
rate seamau. When at last, of, but we'll to
the westward OF Newfoundland, though the
weather was hazy, as 1t usually is about there,
the wind veered TO favorable pout, and
the Saturn was slipping freely through the
water, when, at about eight bells A NJ, u
heavy ship iooued lndlstnctly into sight at
about two leagues to leewsrd on sturboard
bow, und holding about the same course us
he SiturD.
The strangers character was socn clearly
made out. She was d covette of twenty.rour
guns. with the white flag Of France (ihe
table cloth" Brush eenmen were in the
irr-v.rent habit Of calling the spotless banner
OF the French Bourbousl flying at The main.
The opportunity nor which he had go long
panted was at last within Captain Charles
F----'s reach. a quarter Of an hour showed
that ths Frencbman could not avoid the
combat, if he wished TO do so, which, how.
ever, did not appear TO be the case. Both
Vessels promptly prepared for action, und,
,l,..n ,hu th.. ia lad
with the apparent Intention OF passing TO
windward acioss the Su,uru's bows. That,
however, was quickly discovered to bs i'm.
practIbe aud the ships gradually closed with
each other within broadslde range.
Captain Charles F.. who was iu q state
Of great excitement, had ordered Mr. Robert
King, the master gunner, to dUuble.shOt the
guns; tut started at the expression OF the
seaman's face rs he received aud ucknowl.
edged the order, and we'll knowing he was
the deadlest, most lmpacable enemy be had
10 the ship, and the terrible reason why"
Captain Charles r saw each gun loaded
with bis own eyes.
Everything was resdy-the men Silent,
stern rs death, were Ut their quarters, the
ships scarcely bali leegns apart. The Sa.
turu's bruudslde, 10y the captains reiterated
order, was not to be- delivered TIL she WAS
within pistol. shot OF the enemy.
Captain Dulong-ior the corvette was of.
terwards knowu 10 havs been Llphigeuie-
was less cool and. in accordance With the
usual practice Of the French navy, oppned
the game at long balls, without much effect,
aud the Saturn, considerably the fastest yes.
sci, continued TO rapidly edge down towards
the corvette, at the same time keeping out
OF the line OF Llphigenle's direct brosdside
fire. When close enough on u parable! line,
the Saturn, having the weather guage, could
easily run up abeam Of Llmphigenie, aud
pass her, it necessary, should chance Of
rakIng present itself
Fire !" roaled Captain the Honorable
Charles F. through his trumpet. as soon
as tue required position had been attained
Fire !"
Not lanyard tig ghiened The echo to the
h0arse command came from the mems throats,
Instead of ths Suluru's douhlo shotted guns.
tiger shout oI triumphant vengeance
AT the same time rush was made at the
captain and subordinate officers, who, utterly
cOutuucded, could ofier no resistance. They
were all quickly secured, disarmed, bundled
below, aud. us they disappeared, the English
dag was hauled down. The Saturn had
struck to Llphisenie without firing gun
Captain the Honorable Charles -
10 the confusion the helm had been aban,
doned. and the Saturn flew up into the wind,
with all her sails sbiveriDg. LIphigenie
consequently shot considerably ahead 10
very few minutes. 1t appeared from Captain
Dulong's report Of the "action." as he anu.
singly termed the affair, that be could scarcely
believe his eyes at seeing the British hus
hauled down $50 soon." and, suspectiEg some
peIhdious ruse, as quite natural he should,
hesltuted AS TO the course he should pursue
under such extraordinary circumstances"
| Robert King READILY divining the nature
of the debate going on in the French ship,
got out into the Saturn's orechans, and
shouted, with oil :he strength Of bis lungs, an
! invitation to the commander Of the corvette
to send boat to take possession OF the prize.
| No response was elected, and King ordered
one of the Ssturn's boats to be lowered, with
the intention TO 60 himself on board the
FreuchmsD, and explain matters. The gun.
ner's plan. | should state. suddenly conceived
when the corvette was sighted. and quickly
communicated to the crew, together with the
mode OF carrying it out, by the electro steno
graph have spoken Of, was for The Saturn
| 10 DO taken by the enemy" into a French