New York just before she sailed: after these observations he walked up to Sir George Collier, and making his bow, addressed him as Commodore Decatur, reminding him at the same time of having once seen him at New York. He then presented the John’s papers, and complained of his men, whom he described as a mutinous set of fellows, in whose hands his life was not safe, at the same time requesting that some of them might be changed for so many of the President’s crew, and that one in particular might have a sound flogging. All this Sir George Collier promised, with great gravity, should be done, and the first Lieutenant was ordered to have as many men ready in exchange as those complained of. Jonathan was then asked into the cabin, and Sir George, after retiring for a moment, returned with a chart, in which the Leander’s track was marked, over which was written, “President, from New York, on a cruise;” and placing his finger upon these words, as if by accident, they immediately caught the eye of the American, who repeated that he knew the President the moment he saw her, and “Nick” himself could not deceive him. He was then asked by Sir George, pointing to the Acasta, if he knew her; his reply was, “she is the Macedonian”; but when asked what the Newcastle was, he said he did not know her; on which Sir George told him she was the Constitution: he replied, he recollected she was, though not painted as she used to be. After pumping him as much as possible, his papers were returned to him in great form, and Sir George Collier, wishing him a good voyage, desired he would not forget to let it be known that he left Commodore Decatur and his squadron in good health and spirits. The Yankee took his leave with great apparent satisfaction; but when about to quit the Leander her first Lieutenant apprised him of his real situation, and on seeing the British Captain come up in his uniform, he became almost frantic.
Sir George Collier, convinced that there was no probability of meeting with the Constitution and her supposed consorts so far to the northward, now resolved to search for them in the neighbourhood of the Cape de Verds. The following account of his conduct in presence of the enemy on the 11th Mar. 1815, written by his first Lieutenant, and corroborated
