a formal challenge, you may yet oblige me by keeping my proposal a secret, and appointing any place you like to meet us (within three hundred miles of Boston) in a given number of days after you sail; as, unless you agree to an interview, I may be busied on other service, and, perhaps, be at a distance from Boston when you go to sea. Choose your terms, but let us meet.”
Endorsement on the envelope of the above.
“We have 13 American prisoners on board, whom I will give you for as many British sailors, if you will send them out; otherwise, being privateers’ men, they must be detained.”
This letter was confided to Mr. Slocum, a discharged prisoner, who immediately departed in his boat for Marblehead. At the same time the Shannon, with colours flying, stood in close to the light-house, and there hove-to. She had been as near to Boston during several of the preceding days; but thick rainy weather had obstructed the view of the harbour. The Chesapeake was now seen at anchor in President Roads, with royal yards across, and apparently ready for sea. She soon after loosed and sheeted home her topsails. Between noon and 1 P.M. while the Shannon’s crew were at dinner, Captain Broke went himself to the masthead, and there observed the Chesapeake fire a gun, hoist her topsails, and set top-gallant sails. She was presently under way, and made more sail as she came down, having a light breeze in her favour. While aloft, Captain Broke saw that Mr. Slocum’s boat had not reached the shore in time for the delivery of his challenge to the American commander[1]. The action that ensued was thus described in the London Gazette:
“Shannon, Halifax, June 6, 1813.
“Sir,– I have the honor to inform you, that being close in with Boston light-house, in H.M.S. under my command, on the 1st inst., I had the pleasure of seeing that the United States’ frigate Chesapeake (whom we had long been watching) was coming out of the harbour to engage the Shannon; I took a position between Cape Ann and Cape Cod, and then hove-to for him to join us. The enemy came down in a very handsome manner, having three American ensigns flying[2]; when closing with us he sent down his royal-yards.
