her up in the Liberal Goverment's reign. (Childers to wit)
Your humble servant
James Morgan.
Sir i will have it framed and keep in rememberance of you and the old ship.—J. M.
The sketch represents the figure-head as it now stands in Messrs. Castle's yard in the Vauxhall Bridge-road, and it has for neighbours the Leander and the Collingwood; the latter, it will be noticed, continues his career of usefulness by carrying a gas lamp in an extremely painful position. These vessels were broken up about the year 1866.
Figure-head of the "Victory" at the battle of Trafalgar.
One of the most interesting figure-heads in the Naval Exhibition is that of the Shannon, whose encounter with the Chesapeake off Boston on June 1, 1813, will always be a glorious page in the history of England's Navy. Captain Broke, her commander, who had had his eye on the Chesapeake for some time, addressed to Captain Lawrence, of the latter vessel, a letter of challenge, which (to use the words of James's Naval History) "for candour, manly spirit, and gentlemanly style, stands unparalleled." This is one of the passages in the letter:—"As the Chesapeake appears now ready for sea, I request you will do me the favour to meet the Shannon with her, ship to ship, to try the fortune of our respective flags." How the fight ended, and how the Bostonians were disappointed in their expectations of seeing the Britisher whipped, is a thrice-told tale, and need not be repeated here. A prophetic bard of the period sang:—
"And as the war they did provoke,
We'll pay them with our cannon;
The first to do it will be Broke
in the gallant ship the Shannon."
Figure-head of the "Black Prince."
